


Flicker and Glint

by eshcaine



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Benstina, Blood Drinking, Blood and Gore, Dean Hates Witches, F/M, Fae & Fairies, Fairy Tale Elements, Gen, Giant Spiders, Hellhounds, Leviathans, Purgatory, References to past Benny and Dean in Purgatory, Vampires, Violence, the mark of cain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-25
Updated: 2015-01-19
Packaged: 2017-12-27 14:20:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 36,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/979933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eshcaine/pseuds/eshcaine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam Winchester and Bobby Singer have fled Purgatory and Benny Lafitte has made the heartbreaking decision to remain behind. Despondent and lonely, Benny makes his way through the forests only to learn that there are other things moving about in Purgatory besides monsters, and that perhaps his days of being one of the good guys aren't over yet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Quest for Benjamin

**Author's Note:**

> Additional tags will be added as the story progresses.  
> Also there was no time to beta this, so please forgive the errors, typos and misspellings contained therein.
> 
>  
> 
> This is dedicated to my lovely tumblr friend, fangsandkisses, who is Captain of the good ship Benstina, sailing on these fic waters low these many months now. =)

 

~*~

 

The trees whispered their hushed secrets and the wind caught them, fluttering the sound like the sighs of the dead. But that was the only thing the wind stirred. Here, among the grey and rotting flora that yet never showed any change, the dried dead leaves were not moved. Branches did not sway and boughs did not dip. The grey was infinite and pervasive. It went on in all directions like the static trees and the unnerving ghostly sounds.

And then the held stasis of the forest was broken by a grunting bark sound from a man’s throat. Motion, feet pounding hard in a run, legs sprinting, then they turned to pause. He was a big man, body heavy with solid muscle and sturdy bone. His hands thick and worn with experience, his arms corded with tight strength. He wore simple wool trousers and rough boots. His back covered by a navy pea coat, and underneath a shirt held closed by buttons. On his head, a Greek sea captain’s hat and below it’s brim a short-cropped beard. In his hand he held a vile looking weapon. Handle fashioned from a femur, pulled gut ties helping to mount an obsidian blade.

The man shifted his stance and braced himself for the oncoming attack of the man rushing at him. The second man, hot on the first’s trail, his clawed hands curled and stretched out to snag and tear and rend. He lept and pounced on the first man, teeth snarled wide, feral blood lust in his eyes. The first man spun, feigned a dropped shoulder. But his blade followed through and the second man’s head fell to roll away like a ball in some stadium game. The body it belonged to skided to a crumpled halt against the ground and though the first man didn't need to, he breathed out a sigh of relief.

He held, and listened. Waiting.

He’s only answered now by the eerie under song of the forest.

Straightening his posture, the man turned his weapon over a few times in his hand. Sharp blue eyes, like snow kissed by evening’s shade, dart to the four corners of his area before he made to move once more. This time he’s careful of foot, moving quiet as a shadow. He makes his way through the trees and does not feel the curious set of eyes that track his back as he goes.

 

~

 

It was his third day after his return. Or at least, he thought it had been three days. Here, in the tenebrous grey forest it was never easy to track time. The sun never really set but it never really dawned either. He was still sticky and gummed with gore and blood from his initial skirmishes on entering this place. This weird blasphemously sacred prison.

He hunted for one of the black trickling creeks he knew existed here. He wanted to wash his body clean of the blood. “Too bad I’ll never be able to scrub my soul of it” He thought to himself.

He paused now in his trek and bent over, hands held propped against his knees. One hand he dragged against his coat to dislodge the filth from his skin there before he wiped his eyes. It wasn’t so much the pervasive despair that floated heavy in this place, nor was it the creeping sense of finality. It was the loneliness. It ached and it burned and it tore at his insides worse than any of the violent attacks on his physical person.

He heaved in a deep intake of breath and pushed the negative thoughts away. He belonged here now, more than any place else in creation. This was his country, his land, his home.

He began walking again.

 

~

 

Only a few hours had past and he had stopped. Held still and silent in his tracks, he had caught a sound following behind. Tentative footfalls tried to disguise their echoes within the sighs of the forest. But he had heard them, knew someone was there. He remained. He had forever now, and was as patient as a mountain. He would stand where he was and wait for them to make their move.

He had not needed to wait long.

She emerged; dark haired and dark eyed just exactly the same as when he had last laid eyes on her. Her clothing was rumpled and torn, smudged with the dirt of the place, but her skin was still as luminous as the day they had met.

“Hello Benny….”

“Andrea.”

Her voice was placating, meek. His was flat, wary. Just because someone looked like someone did not mean it was actually that someone. No rules of normality applied here in this forest. In this place.

“I heard you had come back.” Her eyes are watery now, searching. “I needed to see for myself.” She made a step towards him. Hesitant. Asking.

Benny held his weapon, pointing it at her and keeping it between them. “Don’t want any bad sentiment between us Andrea, but you know how this place is. No way to be sure you’re you.”

“But Benny….”Her eyes pleaded and she stepped closer. Her voice had an ache in it that Benny had been familiar with once upon a time, in a land long ago.

He kept the weapon steady and stepped to the side and back. His feet planted on steady ground. Waiting for the lunge he could feel coming. The bitter sweet premonition of it knuckling under his skin. He took another step away and then another. He trained his eyes on her feet, her shins, her knees. He tried not to look to her eyes and he failed. He was strong but he wasn’t that strong.

“I forgive you…. For all of it you know.” She reached out one hand, imploring but her eyes leaked the hint of vengeance that simmered under her pretty face. The lie didn't remain hidden.

“Nuthin’ to forgive me for Andrea. We made our choices, you an’ me. We walked our paths.” Benny moved as he spoke, keeping his distance, stalking a wide berth. “Time to walk our paths again…. Separately. You go your way. I go mine.”

She made no reply, made no move beyond the drop of her hand to her side. He sensed the resignation in the way she held her body now. In the turn of her foot however he saw her future and it was not one he welcomed.

"We don't need to do this Andrea. Just walk away." There was warning in his tone, but a plea as well. Born from memories of warm sweet nights, passions met, lingering kisses shared. And hope edged his voice as well. There had already been too much pain between them and he held to the notion that perhaps she would stand down and turn away.

For a long beautiful moment everything was still again. The air, the trees, their bodies, their souls. Hung perfect and poised. No brutal yesterdays, no heart breaking tomorrows.

And then the crystalline tableau shattered and she was in motion, sprung like a coiled snake, fangs freed, eyes furious. She caught him, he shoved back and the air cracked with the force of their meeting. She slithered and weaved, striking in with fang point and talon-ed fingers. She raked his skin, brought the blood to bloom on its the surface. She bit and gnashed and tore. He gave back in kind, not holding back. They ripped at each other until finally he drew his weapon from his belt and ended her.

Again.

Even though it hadn’t been by his hand before, he held firm that he was still responsible.

He didn’t bother with his wounds. He buried her and moved on.

 

~

 

He found the small river.

The water that ran through its shallow rocky bed shimmered and shone but yet flowed black. Thousands of rounded dark stones rested under its surface, smooth and stoic. Benny crouched at its edge, cupped a hand full of the water and felt its texture. Frigid as ice, but clear and oddly clean. He selected one rock and palmed it into his hand. He tossed it to skim out over the water and listened as the sound was swallowed into the ghosted air.

Satisfied there was nothing lurking in the water, he turned and scoured the nearby woods to gather broken branch and twig. In short time he crafted a fire, using flint and the bone of the weapon’s handle. He tended it to health, then returned to the edge of the river.

After one last a visual sweep of the area, he pulled off his boots. Next came his trousers and his socks. These he rinsed in the icy water, wrung out as best as possible after, then left to dry near the fire hanging from a tree branch. He walked tenderly on the round stones along the bank, not painful but not giving comfort either. He removed his coat, shook it out, then left it as well beside the fire. Next came his sweater and shirt, neither filthy with gore and simply needing an airing out. He left his hat on a small knob on the tree near his coat. He hung them careful and then went back to the river in his under clothes.

He waded out until the water lapped at his meaty thighs, then braced himself and sat. The biting temperature of the water gnawed into him like hungry glass teeth. He worked quickly, scrubbing and dousing his body, washing away the sanguine clots and the tacky dead flesh that was stuck to his skin. He stood with a shout, shivering and made haste back to the embankment.

He glanced to his fire and his clothing, and his insides pooled with a dread colder than the river ever would be.

A cloaked figure sat on its haunches beside his fire, poking and tending to it and drawing it higher. Spindly hands were covered in gloves made of some strange animal’s skin and boots made of the fur from one of the more vicious beasts of Purgatory peeked out from under the edges of the cloak. The cloak itself was made of smooth wool and the shade of it hovered from deep sooty green to mud brown and dusted grey.

Beside the figure, his weapon lay alongside the tree where his clothing waited.

Benny held, fighting not to shake from the cold damp soaking his under clothes and his skin. He weighed the needed speed to reach his weapon against how the rounded stones would shift and turn beneath his feet if he bolted into a run.

“You should come and be near the fire. I’d say you might catch your death from the cold but we both know that’s just silly.” The figure spoke but did not turn his way. The voice was muffled some by the hood of the cloak, but it sounded youthful. Possibly boyish. One arm pulled a lethal looking compound bow from where it was previously concealed, and they let the bow rest next to Benny’s weapon. “Come now, you went to all this trouble to build this lovely fire. Mustn’t waste it.”

When Benny did not move, the figure stood slowly. Those rail thin hands moved up and dropped the hood back away from their head as they turned to face Benny directly.

Benny’s eyes surely showed his surprise.

Here was no boy, but instead a young woman. Pale gold spirals of hair came out from under the hood, and her eyes were dark and earthy. “Also, if I had wanted you dead Mr. Vampire, I would have removed your head days ago.”

Cautiously, Benny made his way over to the fire. He took in more of her details, how the thin hands looked frail but held a strength to them. How her skin was flawless to the point of otherworldly. And how she kept her eyes on him unblinking. It reminded him of Dean’s angel, Castiel, and Benny felt a lump form in his throat. Another angel was the last thing he needed in his already cursed existence.

He huddled closer to the warmth of the flames, but remained wary of her. “Seems you know somethin’ bout me and here I am at a loss for even your name Angel” He tossed out the heavenly moniker and gauged her reaction to it. There was none.

She sat beside the fire across from him, opened her cloak and removed a draw string bag about the size of a human head. She opened it, and began to pull out food. A small loaf of bread. A wedge of cheese. A pickle wrapped in wax paper. An apple. “I don’t suppose you know what a Changeling is?”

Benny nodded. Dean had spoken of them and other things he hunted during their time here together. When they had carved a path through these forests. In the pauses between fighting and searched for Dean’s angel.

“Then you know how they take children from their homes….”She gave a brief glance to Benny before she moved to withdraw a wine skin from within her cloak. “Often they meet gruesome ends.” She tossed the full wineskin to Benny and instinctively he caught it. Then she continued, “Sometimes however, they are rescued. And not by heroic human hunters. Sometimes they are saved by the Fae.”

Benny opened the plug on the wine skin and sniffed at its contents. His brows raised when he discovered the scent of blood. Human and fresh and it made his teeth itch to extend in his gums. She gestured that he was free to drink and after a moment of hesitation he did. It was thick and perfect, and everything he needed coursing into his system. Then her last word hit him as the blood settled in his stomach.

“Fay?” He queried. “As in, like…. fairies?”

“Yes. Fae as is like Faeries.” She pulled a bite of cheese free from the wedge but before she bit into it she said, “I was one of those children. Snatched from my room at seven years of age. Caged. Near death. Terrified. And then when all hope had left my small heart, My Lady appeared and gathered me to her.”

Benny took another deep drink from the wine skin and when he removed it, he swiped a small drip of blood off the corner of his mouth with his thumb. The young woman tracked it with her eyes but said nothing. Benny rolled the taste of the blood against his tongue before he asked, “Your Lady?”

“Titania.” The young woman stated plainly. “Usually girls taken this way are raised to be servants for the Seelie houses, but she decided upon looking at me that I would be best raised as a Knight in her Court and so I was.” She tore into her bread now, taking a bite and then following with a firm chomp on her apple.

They ate and drank in silence a moment as Benny processed her tale. Dean had told him things, things just as incredible to believe as being raised by faeries. In fact Benny found it as unbelievable for a little girl to be rescued from monsters by a faerie queen as to believe in Dean Winchester’s angel gripping him tight and raising him from perdition. But Dean had been raised. And Castiel was most certainly an angel. So who was to say that this girl was not telling the honest truth.

“You should remove your under clothes. They will dry faster.” She broke their silence but did not look at him, instead busying herself with wrapping up the remainder of her meal to save for later. “If you are bashful, I will turn my head.”

Benny took one more drink from the wine flask and stood, “If you don’ mind. I’m not accustomed to undressin’ in front of ladies I’m not intimately acquainted with.” He let his southern drawl out in full force to emphasize his upbringing and manners. “I don’t even know your name yet. I’ll be damned if I’m droppin’ my drawers in front of you just yet.” He huffed. “No offense.”

She rose to her feet with such grace it was as if she had floated up. Yet she dropped her eyes boldly to his bare legs and his boxers with out even the pretext to coyness. “None taken. Though I can see all through the wet fabric, and it’s naught to be ashamed of.” Her eyes flicked up to meet his, and her lusty playful look wasn’t hidden. She punctuated it with a teasing smile and turned her back on him.

Blushing, and peeved about the wasted energy heating his cheeks now, he made a gruff sound in his throat. He peeled his wet clothes from his body and arranged them to dry like his pants and socks. He gathered his pea coat up and pulled it on, buttoning it closed and then checked to make certain he was now modest in his presentation.

“All done?” She asked. One foot was rocking side to side with impatience.

“Why are you here botherin’ me anyway? Couldn’t you build your own fire?” Benny pulled a fallen log over to sit on.

“So grateful for the vitae aren’t you?” There was sarcasm in her voice as she turned back around, her eyes pointedly falling to the wine flask.

Benny dropped his eyes and rubbed the ends of his fingers through his short cropped hair, “Sorry….thank you for the blood. I shouldn’t be so ungrateful. I’m just not used to interactin’ with people here who don’t want to end my existence in an unfriendly way.”

She held her wide dark eyes on him for a long silent moment. Then she tugged her gloves off her hands and extended palm in Benny’s direction, “I am Christina Peaseblossom, Knight of the Seelie Court and Champion of her Majesty Queen Titania.”

Benny blinked and then reached out to shake Christina’s small hand. “Nice to meet you, I’m Benny Lafitte.” He wrapped his larger hand around hers and shook.

With a mischievous grin, she gripped his hand firm with a strength Benny didn’t believe possible. She turned his hand over and brought the back of it to her mouth. As her dark eyes held to his, she kissed the back of his hand with a long lingering press of her pink lips. She held him there, watching as his pale blue eyes grew wider and paler in surprise and shock. Just as swiftly as she had caught him, she released him. Her smile would rival Dean’s in its sheer unabashed cockiness.

“Excellent to finally meet you Benny of Lafitte. I’ve been following you since you charged into battle, taking on those three voracious monsters so your companions could flee from Purgatory. You are a worthy and noble warrior and I would like you to come with me on my quest.” She barely blinked as she said this, her eyes shining with an inner thrill and her cheeks pinking with enthusiasm.

Benny was still ruffled and flustered from her kiss on his hand. His face was pulled into a cross frown and his eyes were now clouded dark with his irritation. He had barely taken in what she was saying, and now growled out at her. “You take awfully cheeky liberties….. Do you usually do this sort of thing with the people you meet?!”

Her smile pulled into a softer hue and she leaned in, impossibly close to speak gentle at his ear. “I apologize for being so forward with you Sir Lafitte. Will you please forgive me?” Her cheek brushed his as she moved back, yet her eyes were genuine in their aspect.

The ruddy colour on Benny’s cheeks deepened, but he stood, snatched up his hat and squared it back on his head the way he usually wore it. “It’s fine. I’m just not…” He cleared his throat, “Just not used to such familiarity… and all.”

“Since people are usually wanting to end your existence in unfriendly ways.” There was no tease or mocking tone to her voice. Instead she simply began to pull her gloves back on. “Yes. I remember.” She let off a small sigh at that moment, and it sounded defeated. “We’ve started off on a bad note.”

“Some what.” Benny conceded.

“Perhaps you will allow me to make it up to you?” She looked over at him, sincere.

He nodded, once. Then thought back trying to recall something she had said right after she had planted the kiss to his hand. “You said you have a quest?"

Her brows raised and that light came back into her eyes, “Yes. And if you aid me, I can gain you passage out of The Grey Forest and into the Seelie lands.”

“As in, leave Purgatory….?” His face frowned again but this time in curiosity.

“Yes. My quest if for My Lady and if you aid me, you will be assisting her. To do so will give you the chance to ask for a boon. You’ll need to travel with me back into the Fae Realm to do that so…” She let off a light shrug. “Once there all you need do is something simple like eat of the food or drink of our wine and you’ll be bound there for all time.”

“Er....well. Sounds like it might be worth considering.” Benny brought his hand up and rubbed against his beard with his fingertips just as he had done to his scalp earlier. Was he ready to trade the devil he knew… Purgatory… for one he didn’t? “I’ve nothin’ better to do at the moment. I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to help you out…” And give him time to think about her offer to leave, to try to be someplace else beyond these dreary woods. Would it be better than being back in the world though? Or would it be as big of a failure as that had been? His thoughts were interrupted as he looked up.

Christina’s face was lit up with joy.

“But you gotta keep your hands to yourself.” Benny warned and her joy visibly ebbed.

“Very well.” She very nearly pouted. “I will restrain myself from overtly showing my appreciation of your fine masculine form. And I will keep my hands to myself.”

Benny nodded but eyed her sidelong. He wasn’t sold on her promise and chuckled low to himself at her wording. “So what’s this quest you’re on about?”

Her demeanor slipped into a serious cast and her bearing became as knightly as noble as any royal he’d ever seen. “My Lady fears for an invasion from this land, and as such I have been sent on reconnaissance to gain information. I am to also gather ingredients for My Lady’s sorcerers to use in spell casting to protect our lands.”

“One moment..... how is it that we can go back and forth between Purgatory and the Fae lands? I thought these forests and lands were sealed to hold the Leviathan in.” Benny glowered also thinking on the door that connected this place and Hell.

“We couldn’t previously. But some force rocked the Grey Forest and drew all the souls out of it not many seasons ago. Purgatory was emptied. Then, all the souls were spit back in… all save the Leviathan. They did not return right away. Whatever that event was, it weakened the borders, the wards and the walls that sealed everything from everything.” She bent to retrieve her bow now, as if speaking of such epic things made her need the comfort of it in her hand. “Do you not remember this vampire? Were you not of the monsters of the Grey Forest then?”

Benny looked at her in astonishment. “I remember an earth quake. I remember blacking out. I remember a dark fitful dream where I could see nothing but I could hear the screams of millions of souls. I could feel the hunger of the Leviathan licking at my essence. And then I was suddenly back here, in the forests, as before.” Benny removed his hat and rubbed his head. “I thought it a bad dream brought on from a bonk to my noggin’.”

“No, it happened. It brought my Lady great distress, she said she knew what caused….” She stilled abruptly and her eyes flashed into the tree line.

Instantly Benny went alert and he snatched up his trousers to hurriedly tug them on. “What is it?”

Christina tossed the edge of her cloak away from her front so it flew to fall draped back over her shoulder, allowing her a full range of movement. She gripped her bow tighter and keeping her eyes on the trees. Then she whispered low.

“Leviathan!”

 

**_(to be continued)_ **


	2. Leviathan

They came through the air like the dragons of old. Smoke pluming around their forms as they throttled through the sky, the atmosphere trembling and shattering with their roar. When they impacted the ground to land, the round stones along the riverbank jumped with a loud ‘clack’. As their bitter gaseous cover burned away from their forms the very sky above them seemed to grow darker. The trees about them shivered as if in fear and those ghostly sounds silenced.

Benny and Christina were surrounded nearly by six Leviathan. They had come to stand in a crescent formation, backing he and the Fae Knight to the edge of the river’s waters. Their stance was assured, domineering, regal yet hungry. They knew themselves to be the pinnacle of the food chain, the Alphas of all Alphas and this knowledge shined in their eyes. Their faces haughty and superior and bold.

“Back into the waters Lafitte. We can flee across the river…” Christina stepped to place her body between Benny and the Leviathan.

Benny stepped back but as his heel felt the cold breach of the water he paused. A memory pulled hard at the edges of his mind and he could hear Dean’s voice in his head recounting a dark time from the hunter’s life. “….and then Cas stumbled into the reservoir…. Arms out like he was some kind of freaky messiah or somethin’…. And he sank below the waters and he was just gone man. Those…those THINGS…. They came gushing out from him into the water. They FILLED the water….” Benny could still hear how Dean’s voice broke, remembered how Dean hid away his face, kept eyes shadowed. Benny had known then why it was so imperative to Dean to find Castiel, locate his angel and bring him home when they went. Now that moment stirred up something else within Benny, sparking his self-preservation hard. He ceased his retreat and looked over his shoulder to the river.

“Not sure goin’ in the water is such a good idea….” While Benny couldn’t see anything in the water, Dean’s words still rang out in his head and it gave him pause.

“Well this is an unexpected surprise.” One of the Leviathan was speaking out now, a female. Her russet hair pulled back glossy against her scalp, her eyes pinched with a strange mix of delight and malice. “We came to collect the one reeking of the stink of the faerie lands and we find public enemy number one as well.” She made a low loud gurgling sound in her throat and behind Benny the waters stirred.

Three figures rose up out of the water, weaving snake like and menacing. Theirs were the true forms of Leviathan: black ochre, liquid, and wormlike. Their front ends pale and peeled open with gaping maws and dripping needle teeth. Red ribbon tongues whipping out to paint their air and to taste for fear.

Over her shoulder Christina looked at the Leviathan in the water, then to Benny briefly and then back to the humanoid Leviathan. The look in her dark eyes reminded Benny of Dean when he was contemplating some insane reckless attack. He mused that his weapon was still too far away from his grasp for his liking.

“Nothing to say my little kittens?” The Leviathan held contempt and disappointment in her tone. “Not even a hello? Such manners….” She looked to her side to a male standing near her. “Feast on the vampire but bring his head when you return. The Fae mustn’t be harmed however.”

Benny’s eyes switched from the female Leviathan just in time to see the shift in Christina’s shoulders. It was the only warning he had before she was in motion, a blur of cloak and legs, her gold hair flying. She did a half leap and used the momentum to push into a fleeting run. She was on the Leviathan closest to her in less than a heart beat and as that beat finished she had slipped her bow over the creature’s head. She kicked up off the ground, planted a foot against the thing’s chest and slammed down. As it fell back, she pulled with both hands on her bow. The taught cord of the bow came slicing through the back of the Leviathan’s neck and by the time it’s humanoid body landed against the ground, it’s head was severed clean off. The bow string sang with a "twing!" sound.

Benny blinked in astonishment, as did the other Leviathan. Their hesitation was Christina’s advantage and she pressed it. No sooner had she twisted her bow free, her foot was pivoting against the chest of the dead Leviathan. Her arm fluttered the edge of her cloak out and it caught across the throat of the next Leviathan, drawing a long line as it broke it’s skin. Black ooze dripped out as Purgatory's gloomy light glinted off the metal barb seated at the hem of her cloak.

In shock that Leviathan gasped, hand coming quickly up to protect the wound. It left their mid-section exposed to the curved end of Christina’s bow. She brought it in, ramming hard, aiming to damage and the Leviathan was pummeled backwards.

The leader of this group of Leviathan screeched out an unholy sound of oil and fury burned by indignation. Behind Benny there was an answering roar of liquid and hissing, the true form Leviathan swarmed past Benny over the river’s edge and headed for Christina. In a cascade of grinding wet sounds and gushing violence, they surged on her, coursing and shoving and drowning her beneath them as they hit her.

Benny’s body ducked on instinct and rolled, his weapon coming into his hand as he moved past it. Sinew and muscle became fluid. He was on his feet again and rounding up behind the closest humanoid Leviathan taking its head from its body a breath later. He was less than a step behind the next, their eyes all on the true form Leviathan writhing and suffocating the Fae Knight, Benny's own weapon lifted and poised to strike the deadly blow.

And then there was light. And warmth. And a sound in Benny’s ears like the rustle of a light breeze through dandelions. Or the hum of a bee on a sunny day. Benny’s vision went out for a moment, shining white and empty. His ears carried the rush of waves along a beach, sea gulls calling out. He felt as if he were sailing in the air.

And then he wasn’t. The ground came up and slammed into his shoulder and he tipped the side of his temple against the round stones of the river embankment. His vision was blurred and mottled, and the only sound in his ears now was the rasp of stone against stone as he rolled from his side. He sat up quickly, then when his head swam dizzy he sat still. He could feel his weapon still in his hand. Bit by bit his eyes went from muddied unfocused greys to the sharper clear view of the scene before him.

Black singed and seared globs of ooze and muck splattered and coated everything. Across the ground and stones. Speckled on his clothes and skin. Thick chunks dropped in crusting dollops from trees.

All the Leviathan were gone. Obliterated.

A scraping sound drew Benny’s attention. Not far from him Christina was getting to her feet, swaying and wavering weakly. She was using her bow to help prop herself to stand, and its end was catching in between the stones.

“Can you stand?” She called out, her voice sounding weary and mangled. She made a sour face and spit out some of the black goo from between her lips.

Benny pulled himself to his feet, his head finally clearing. “Can do.”

“You need to go, you must flee.” She straightened but continued to lean on her bow. “They’ll send more and soon, now that they know where we are.”

Benny dressed swiftly and got his boots on. He seated his hat firmly on his head and gripped tight to his weapon. He muttered under his breath on how he was filthier now than when he had arrived to the river in the first place. He strode over to the Fae Knight to stand before her.

“You go. I’ll keep them busy… once they lose your trail your should be safe.” She wouldn’t look at him, instead pointed away into the tree line.

“What did you do just then…. Made them explode? How’d that happen?!” Benny narrowed his eyes into cold icy points. He’d seen Castiel burn out Leviathan, white light coming from his hands as he pressed to their foreheads, but it was nothing like what had happened here by the river just now. “How did you do that?”

“There is no time!! You must go now!” She tried to growl at him, to command but her voice came weak and spent. She pushed at the wall of his chest with her hand and it felt like a child’s.

Benny reached down and took hold of her chin roughly and drew her face up so he could see her eyes. The deep warm brown was gone. Instead they were washed out to a sickly yellow. The colour of old rotting summer flowers as they decayed. She did not focus and he understood than that she was blinded.

With a low rumble of something rolling in his chest, Benny bent down, shouldered into her stomach and hoisted her up over into a fireman’s carry. He ignored her feeble shout of complaint, ignored her impotent struggle to wiggle free, and ignored the almost childlike kick of her legs against his wide left palm. With her secured he bolted off into the trees, ducking and racing along, weaving through the flow of the growth pattern of the forest. Taking them far from the river’s edge.

 

~*~

 

“This is humiliating. This is not befitting a person of my Knightly standing.” Her voice came muffled against his back shoulder. She had been silent for over an hour as he had jogged through the ghosting woods. The hand she was not holding the bow in scrabbled lightly against the broad expanse of his back. “At least let me pull up the back of your coat.”

“Why would I need to do that Darlin’?” He chuckled low as he tread lightly across the length of a fallen log.

"Give me a view of your rump as you go. I want to watch the muscles move under your clothes. It would be pleasing to my eyes.” She said it matter-of-factually.

A gentle rumble of a laugh bubbled up from Benny’s chest. “Thought you promised to behave yourself.”

“Huh! You were the one who slung me over your shoulder, absconded with my personhood, palmed your wondrous warm strong hand all along the back of my legs….” She flexed the muscle of her calf held under Benny’s left hand.

He changed the subject. “There’s a cave near here, warm spring inside. Lots a weird lichen growin’ on the walls. We can hide in there until you get your mojo back….” He paused and unknowingly squeezed his hand against her leg. There was a faint hint of panic underlying his voice. “You will get it back right? You’re not blind forever are you?”

“Lafitte….if I couldn’t see, why would I be asking you to let me look at your muscular bottom as you walk?” She made that grabby motion with her hand against the back of his coat again. “I should probably appreciate it with my hands though, just to be on the safe side.”

“You’re incorrigible.” That rumble of a soft laugh came out again. “We’re here.”

The forest was dipped into a deeper hush here. The trees were thinner, reedier and their grey was tinted green. Thick swaths of dark moss draped between them like old torn bits of fabric. As if the trees were once fine ladies who had withered away down to brittle bone, their dress finery rotting into drooping decay. The scent of the woods here was cloying, thicker, fecund. Bogs and swampy pools sat murky between the squishy earth. Benny followed through the trees to where the ground rose slightly. Soon the land swelled up sharp to cliff wall and in front of him, a cave's opening yawned wide and welcoming. He paused here and slipped Christina down off his shoulder.

Her feet steadied on the ground. Before he could pull back and withdraw from their slight embrace, she looked up to him and her hand paused him. Her wide eyes were dark again, brown and deep like warm chestnuts. She lifted up ever so slightly and placed a faint kiss to his bearded cheek. “Thank you.”

Benny’s face went ruddy again, only this time his eyes twinkled brightly. “I owe you the thanks Darlin’. You were the one who blew those worms away.”

The small smile that flickered over her face in reply left Benny with a sweet light pop of sunshine growing in his chest. They stood there a moment longer, looking into each other’s eyes before he broke away and pulled his hat down off his head. If possible, his cheeks had gone even rosier.

“You go on in. The spring’ll be warm an’ you can get clean off that goo.” He gestured to the surrounding trees. “Gonna gather some moss and bring it in.”

She nodded, paused a moment to look at him with her unblinking gaze, then she turned and entered the cave.

Benny held still a moment, then rubbed his fingers against his scalp through his hair. “Oh Benny man, what kinda trouble have you gotten yourself into this time…?”

 

**_(to be continued)_ **


	3. Magic

 

The last time he had been in this part of the forest he had half the weight of another man leaning against him. Blood soaked and covered in debris, they had limped and stumbled over the sponge-cushioned swamp, faces wincing in pain. Their eyes took turns darting over their shoulders, furtive glances and held breaths that they were not followed. Unseen. He had a deep gash sporting along the side of his shin. His companion, Dean, had a twisted ankle and a bleeding ear.

Several hours previous, Dean had been interrogating a werewolf, trying to pull details of Castiel’s whereabouts from her snarling uncooperative self. Benny had heard another werewolf circling their area and had stepped to the side of a tree to get a better sense of its size or intent. They had been too focused on their targets to notice the huge form delicately wending its way through the upper tree boughs. To sense its artfully placed legs as it skittered down closer to them from above. To register its onyx bead eyes as it tracked them as prey.

The only warning they received was the abject wide-eyed terror that crossed the face of the female werewolf as she looked over Dean’s shoulder up into the trees overhead.

When it dropped, it also cast down a triangular net made of sticky gossamer webbing. This sailed down and draped over Dean, coating and covering him, wrapping him up in its white threads like a gift. He had tipped over, landing sideways awkwardly while the creature above pounced with agile precision onto the female werewolf.

The creature was stick-like, elongated with two dish sized blue-black eyes set over smaller tiny pinprick black eyes. It was grey and bristle fuzzy, with two thick mandible fangs held below its eyes. It was using these now to cover the werewolf’s head, cutting off her terrified scream in a neat clip.

Benny didn’t wait. Didn’t pause, didn’t hesitate. As soon as the net had floated down around Dean, Benny was on the move. He had skirted the edge of the tree ring, moving low and fast. He leaned out and had caught the webbed heel of Dean’s shoe and once it was curled tight in his fingers, he had yanked hard. He had dragged Dean roughly across the forest floor. One fearful glance back told Benny the spider was wrapping up the werewolf’s body, but it was making quick work of it. It would be looking for it’s other prize too soon.

Benny hauled Dean this way, bouncing Dean over the terrain until they came to an unexpected ravine. Its breach stretched away a good twenty feet or more with no way to cross. Below at its bottom, rapids frothed and sputtered. The water was blue and white and shimmered where the sun could touch it. Behind him Dean was cursing and tearing at the webbing, thrashing with revulsion. Benny looked back once to spot a thin spider leg dip up into the tree canopy for cover and it was all the incentive he needed. He gripped hold of Dean, shouted for him to hold his breath and flung the man over the edge. Once Dean was sailing through the air, Benny had jumped after him.

They hit the water and went under briefly before the churning waves had spat them up to the surface. Benny had cut through the water with ease to get his hands on Dean’s collar, and with his grip firm had brought Dean up against the rocks. They had stripped away the webbing then and held a moment to catch their breaths. It was then that Benny saw the wounded ear Dean had gotten when he initially fell when he was webbed. Benny had the gash on his leg from brushing against a rock on impact with the river.

They spent the rest of that day climbing out of the ravine using thick roots as hand holds. Dean had sprained his ankle at some point that neither of them could recall and it made his ascent slow. By the time they were at the top edge of the ravine they were covered in mud and debris, small bugs and twigs. From there they had wandered down stream to finally find the swampy area.

Finding the cave had seemed like a godsend. They could build a fire at the entry and rest within, without worry of the spider coming in after them.

Benny sat back on a moss-cushioned rock and rubbed his feet. His boots sat next to him and his pant legs were rolled up. He had been soaking his feet for the last few minutes in the hot spring as he recounted to Christina how he and Dean had found the cave they were in now.

She was seated like-wise with her feet dangling into the warm spring water. Patches of softly glowing yellow-green lichen that coated the moisture heady walls of the cave illuminated them both. The space was ample inside the cave, the ceiling of it reaching up a good sixteen feet above them. The spring itself was roughly the same width and filled the back wall completely.

“You and this Dean went through much together.” She nodded, idly swirling one foot in the warm water. Her cloak was spread nearby, drying from being rinsed clean and her boots were set behind her. Her bow leaned along the wall to her left and Benny sat at her right. “Is he still here? In the Grey Forests?”

Benny shook his head and a sad smile came hesitant over his face, “Naw. He’s with his brother Sam. Out in the world, as it should be.”

“You miss him.” This was not a question, but she said it tenderly and with compassion.

Benny reached into the inside of his coat and frowned. “I lost the wineskin you gave me….”

Christina rolled her eyes, “Fine. Change the subject. And don’t worry about the flask. I can conjure another.”

“Conjure? Like magic?” Benny quirked a brow at her.

Christina gave him a look. It reminded him of some of the looks that Castiel had given Dean when they all three were together making their way to the portal. Castiel would look that way as if Dean were stating something completely obvious to anyone who had half a wit in his or her head. Christina’s look made Benny shrug and say “What? Ya think I spend all my days trudging around with faeries to know?”

She sighed, “Yes. Magic. Fae Magic.” She brushed her hand against her thigh and tilted her head a little, “Like I could make this cave so much more comfy if you wanted.” She gave him a sly look out from under her lashes but he either didn’t register it or didn’t acknowledge it.

“Is that how you got rid of them Leviathan?” He settled his feet back into the warm spring water.

“Ugh!” Exasperated she brought her feet up out of the water and stood up. “Get up Lafitte.”

“Why?”

“Just do it.” She made hurry-up-shooing gestures with her hands. “Go on, up. And close your eyes.”

The skeptical look on his face grew by the moment but he stood up anyway, planted his hands on his hips and complied with her demand. Instantly he could feel a faint warm tingling energy tickling at his bare feet. And for a moment he felt vaguely dizzy much like the sensation one gets when in an elevator going down. He shifted and he no longer felt the earthy moss covered rock of the cave under his feet. Instead it felt plush and course, like a wool carpet. He also saw the light in the cave brighten slightly through his eyelids, and it shifted from the acidy yellow-green cast to a richer golden tone.

“There. Open your eyes.” Her pleased smile was evident in her voice.

When he did, he stepped back a half step in surprise. The cave had been transformed. Where the spring sat, now a small set of smooth wooden benches rimmed its lip. Various rugs and carpets were strewn everywhere, a small table and chairs rested to one side and a good-sized bed crowded with pillows and blankets hung from thick gold ropes from the ceiling. Candles were lit resting on small niches sticking out of the cave walls. Coat racks now stood near the table. The furnishings were modest yet spoke of comfort.

Christina took her cloak to the coat rack and hung it, placing the bow beside. She gestured to a new wine flask, which rested on the tabletop next to a metal goblet and a bowl of fruit. “There. Happy?”

Benny looked flustered and his mouth was curled into a slight frown, “None of this is real. It’s an illusion….. what was it called…. Glamour. That’s it.”

Once again Christina rolled her eyes as she dug into her cloak to withdraw the bag she had placed the bread and cheese in earlier. She brought it to the table and sat, then pulled the bread out and broke off a piece. She did not meet his eyes nor speak, but instead ate quietly.

After a moment of just spearing her with a disbelieving stare, Benny pawed his foot against the surface of the rug he stood on. It felt real enough, true enough. Then with trepidation, he came over to the table. He placed one hand on the back of the empty chair that was left and felt against its solid form. He ran his hand over it several times, squeezing his fingers against it, testing it. Finally he sat down, eyeing her carefully as he did. Once he sat she lifted the goblet and drank from whatever liquid had been within, glancing at him over the rim with her dark eyes.

“C’mon Christina. Tell me…. Explain to me how you do these things.” He pulled his hat from his head and lifted his brows in a pleading look. “Please.”

She set down the goblet and drew in a long sigh. Then she brushed the crumbs from her fingers and leaned back in her seat. “How much do you know about space and matter and energy and physics?”

Benny blinked. “What does that have to do with magic?”

“Ugh. Everything!” She took an apple out of the bowl and set it in the center of the table. “Matter. Molecules. Atomic particles held together. Energy can pull them apart.”

Benny nodded. He remembered sitting in this very cave, waiting to heal up, listening to Dean give him a run down of the wonders of the later 21st century that he had missed out on. Dean had talked about the atomic bomb, and nuclear energy but Benny hadn’t understood Dean’s round about vague descriptions. But Benny had understood a magazine he had come across in the waiting room of a blood bank he would later rob days later for sustenance. So he understood what she was talking about now, somewhat. At least the basics.

“All magic is… well… Its just science that’s coming from a different more intuitive angle. Fae know how to take molecules and rearrange them. They know how to redistribute matter and energy. Just like Angels and Demons. Humans will eventually learn through science and one day evolve past Fae and Angels and Demon etc…. That is if they can ever get their act together.” She reached out and twirled the apple on its heel against the table.

“So what you did to the Leviathan, was that like a bomb or something you ‘conjured’?” Benny narrowed his eyes at her, trying to understand.

She took in a deep breath and leveled a long look into his eyes. “No. That was different.” She picked up the apple and held it as if she would use it as a demonstration. “To rearrange the building blocks of reality you need energy. Angels get it from their grace, their connection to Heaven. It’s like a battery they carry within them that has a direct refillable conduit to more power as needed. The energy of the Divine. Demons build their energy through hate, anger and other negative emotions. They stew and boil themselves in Hell, gathering all this negative energy to themselves and when they have enough they can slip free and wander around elsewhere. They make more energy for themselves by taking in other souls, or feeding on despair or pain or sorrow…..”She turned the apple over in her hand. “Fae get their energy from nature, all nature. Rocks, trees, water, fire….” She looked at him and set the apple down, “And people. Much like you get your energy from blood now.”

“Fae drink blood?” Benny frowned.

“No. But they will sip of their tears, or nibble on their laughter, taste their fear….” She let a smile drift over her lips, “….dine on their carnal pleasure.”

Benny looked away, his cheeks flushing hot as he sat back in his chair, “Sounds like it would hurt someone to let a Fae do that.”

Christina’s face went dark, and her smile washed away. A sadness crept into her eyes and she hugged herself, “It does. Not many people last long. A few years, maybe if they have a good mental fortitude. It doesn’t always physically hurt, but it does…. drain you. I’ve been one of the lucky ones. My Lady does not allow any one to feed from me. It is forbidden. But I’ve…. lost friends. Watched them waste away into nothing…..”

Benny looked over at her, a quiet understanding passing across his face. “That ain’t never an easy thing.”

She shivered and a pout formed on her bottom lip. “And no, I don’t feed on people to get my energy. My Lady gave me…. Something else. And that’s what I drew on to conjure this room and it’s what I used to make the Leviathan go away.”

Benny raised up his hands in surrender, “Alright. I won’t ask anymore about that.” He gestured to the blood flask on the table, “Can I know where this came from?”

“It’s not mine… not my blood nor anyone else’s. I took water from the spring, mixed in some iron from the rocks, took matter from the moss and the lichen…. Other things…. Transformed them for you into the blood.” After a thought crossed her mind, “Did it taste satisfactory?”

“More than.” He let his voice out warm, gentle. Appreciative.

He held her with his eyes a long moment and took a careful look at her. She appeared maybe in her early twenties, maybe twenty-five. She was fit, lean muscle on a slight frame. Like a cheetah or a deer. Deceptively frail to look at but holding hidden swift power and grace. Her face was sweet, lips expressive and those eyes. He found himself drawn to those eyes. They were more than just brown. Deep, warm and vibrant. He liked them.

Her arms were still wrapped tightly around herself, a gesture of self-protection, emotional wariness. He sat back in his seat further to give her more space, and tugged the flask into his palm. “You never did clean up. I still see goo in your hair.” He stood slowly, taking the flask with him. “I’ll take a walk outside, have a drink…. Which by the way…. Thank you for.” He gestured to the cave opening. “I’ll come back in a little while.”

He moved to walk to the cave entrance and paused beside her chair. He nudged her shoulder ever so lightly with a finger, “When I come back, you’ll give me all the details of this quest you’re on, yes?”

She nodded. “Yes. That giant spider? I am glad of it when you told me your tale about Dean.”

Benny’s brows lifted, “Th’ spider? You need to find it?”

She didn’t move. “Find it. Kill it. Harvest its spinnerets. And its eyes.”

Benny swallowed. “Uh, really?”

She flashed her eyes up at him and their playfulness returned. “Uh yes really.” She winked, “It will be the beginning of our grand adventure!”

Benny felt his stomach drop out and he wasn’t sure if it was the idea of hunting a giant spider or if it was her little wink. Either way, he chalked it up to being doomed.


	4. Blood

The trees here were whiter, oilier and more like bone than Benny remembered. Of course the last time he had been standing here, in this spot, Dean had a werewolf under one hard booted foot and Benny’s attentions were not for the flora around them.

Benny pressed his own boot into the ashy dead leaves beneath; he twisted his ankle slowly and ground down. The leaves crushed to a gritty paste leaving pale smudges against the tread. He tested the underside of his boot, scraping it there and found it wasn’t slippery but dry, gritty. He made a small satisfied grunt deep in his throat and flicked his gaze up.

The air around him was deathly still; the usual eerie whisperings from the trees were silent. He held his body just as placid, hands tucked into his coat pockets, shoulders relaxed. Benny let his scruffy chin nearly rest on his chest, but his ears he kept sharp and quick.

Benny had wandered into the area with slow careful steps, minding any broken branches on the floor of the forest. He had kept his head down but like now, eyes and ears were fully alert. The flat quiet of the area told Benny the giant spider was still here somewhere, clearing this forest of any other monsters. It was just a matter of luring it out into the open.

Which is exactly why Benny was there.

A low smirk played on his lips as he recalled how Christina had explained her plan and how it was crucial that Benny be the bait. “I smell better an’ her. Right.” Benny grumbled but knew it was true. He smelled more like prey than she did with her clothes still reeking of flowers and summer rain; too wholesome and strange for something here in Purgatory.

Benny’s thoughts drifted to the Christina, barely more than a girl, yet her skills and knowledge were nothing like Benny had ever encountered before. She was quick of mind and quicker of hand, one moment delicate and frail as a small blossom, the next as strong and deadly as any vampire or hunter he had ever known. And her scent… he let his mind dwell there for a time. It made his mouth water in more ways than one.

He wondered what Dean and his angel would have made of her if they had met.

It was the amusement over that, rolling around in his mind, that was abruptly halted as something sticky and foul smelling landed on his left shoulder. Benny’s eyes slid over to find a large blob of the spider’s gooey web wrapping there. It made a thick gelatinous glob on his coat. The air stirred at the hairs on his neck between his collar and the back edge of his hat. Benny tightened his fists inside his pockets and whirled around, bright blue eyes flashing upwards.

He expected to find himself face to face with the flared and twitching pedipalps of the giant spider. Expected to be confronted with the thing’s black eyes gleaming. And he was not wrong. It was there, a mere six inches from his face with venom dripping in sickly yellowed dollops from the picks of its fangs. It twitched but not in fervor for attack, and the eyes gleamed but not in anticipation of its next meal. Instead it hovered there, not advancing and Benny suddenly realized the small jerks and flinches it was making were that of something dying.

Benny took one step back, then another, then another. Dead leaves becoming gray paste under him. If he still needed to breathe, he would have sucked in a deep gasp.

The spider was in mid-drop, body still held from the long thread of webbing at its rear. Legs still retracted for attack, body tipped down to make the most of its approach from above. And planted neatly and deeply into its body just behind the last top row of its eyes was a long bright blade, the point of it protruding from beneath the spider’s mouth.

“Wasn’t my intent to allow it to come so close to you but…” Christina was at his elbow suddenly.

Benny jumped, completely startled, stepping quickly away from her and the dead spider. He dragged his hat off his head and slapped it against his thigh, “Ga lee feet pue tan woman, you scared tha b’jeezus out of me….” Benny turned to look at her standing there and Dean’s voice flitted through Benny’s head, chuckling about angels and ‘personal space’.

Christina pulled her lips into something that was an amalgamation of a frown and a pout, but she remained where she was. “I said I was sorry it got so close, it moved faster than I….”

“That ain’t what I’m talkin’ ‘bout Angel. You cain’t come up on a man so close and silent like that without givin’ him some warning!” Benny scowled and took in a deep breath he really didn’t need, but it felt good to go through the motion.

Her frown-pout dissolved into a firm line and she tilted her chin up, “You didn’t hear me drop down from the trees and you didn’t hear the spider descend either… did you?”

“No. I did not hear either one.” Benny leveled his own gaze at her, mimicking her as he poked his chin out as well.

Christina rolled her big dark eyes and then stepped up to the spider, giving it her full focus now. She drew a sharp curved blade from some where under her cloak and then reached up to begin to carve out the spider’s eyes.

Benny glowered and took one step closer, planting his hat on his head firmly. “What was that for?”

“What was what for?” Her fingers were digging around the edges of one eye socket and it was starting to make a slick sucking sound that was extremely unpleasant.

“Th’ eye roll.” Benny lowered his voice, nearly growling.

“I cannot believe you weren’t paying attention. You missed everything!” That pout was back on her bottom lip and she didn’t hide the distain from her voice. “I thought you were a warrior.”

“Darlin’ I am just me. An’ I’m sorry I disappointed you or whatever…” Benny gestured vaguely in her direction and then at the spider. He gave it a long look now, watching as the legs quivered slightly as she dug the eyes free.

“It…. Its not still alive… is it?” Benny felt a shiver of revulsion crawl along his neck.

She didn’t even bother couching the bored look she threw at him then, hefting the freshly plucked eye in one hand while she stuck the knife into the carcass. She kept her eyes on him as she pulled a silvery pouch from under her cloak and slipped the spider eye into it. She gave a long sigh and then let the pouch hang from her hip before taking hold of the knife again.

“Are you going to be like this when we hunt the other items we need?” Christina turned back to the spider and began removing another eye.

“What do you mean?” Benny was growling now, irritated.

“Like this… distracted, skittish, and unreasonable.” She said it coolly as she wiggled the knife deeper into the eye socket.

Benny straightened. “Unreasonable?! Woman you had me standing around as bait for that… that… that thing, and then you snuck up on me out of no where…. And it’s a real fine thing tha’ I didn’ have my blade in my hand or you’d have been…..”

Christina raised one lady like brow at him and violently tugged the second eye free with a twist of her wrist. Ichor from the spider oozed in putrid little rivulets around her gloved fingers as she held the eye. She slid it into the silver pouch at her hip and smirked.

“I’d have been what? Penetrated? By your blade?” the sarcasm of her words dripped like the bodily juices of the dead spider.

Benny clamped his mouth closed and turned away. He shoved his hands into his pockets and stalked off through the trees leaving Christina and the spider carcass behind. He retraced the route he and Dean had used to flee the spider long ago. He let his foot falls pound into the ground, echoing the anger he had itching in his chest and he let his legs carry him away as quickly as they would.

Soon he heard the muted rushing of the gorge ahead, the sound of its seething waters slowly calming the seething in his head. By the time he found himself at the edges looking down, Benny’s anger had calmed.

He sat down on a rock and leaned his elbows against his knees. He bent his head down and idly ran his thumbs along the brim of his cap. He took in another deep breath just for the sake of it. He knew he shouldn’t be so angry with Christina. That he shouldn’t have been so cross. He reminded himself of her otherness, of her fae nature and how alike in some ways she was with Dean’s angel. How alien she was, even to a vampire. He wondered for a moment how Dean had done it, becoming so close to something like Castiel. How the two of them had some how been able to reach beyond human and angel to connect as friends, maybe more. How had they formed their profound bond?

“Almost wish you were here brutha, you’d know how ta handle her.” Benny sighed. “You had more experience an’ me dealing with this. Back at the cave things had been so nice. Cozy even. She and I we were….” Benny let his head hang down. “We was almost human.”

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

He wasn’t sure how long he sat there, just listening to the endless rush and push of the water at the bottom of the gorge.

Benny finally stood and looked around. The odd light that kept purgatory a hazy muted veil of overcast clouds was darkening and drawing into nightfall. Sometimes the veiled light seemed to last for months, and then for no discernable reason this darkness would come over everything, plunging the forests into pitch-black night. Purgatory became more dangerous then. Things that hid in cracks and under brush that loathed the light would come skittering out to hunt and slay. Brutal things like the vicious gorilla wolves that Dean had encountered would stalk freely instead of slinking behind trees and boulders.

Benny opened his coat and drew out his blade, hefting it into hand as his face lifted to watch the darkness come. Already he was hearing the howls and the barking cries of beasts growing louder all around.

He needed to find some place to hold his ground. Some place where his back was not exposed. He considered trying to make it back to the cave, but then decided it was too far. Climbing down into the gorge again would be a death trap reducing his movement and his site line. It was one thing to hide from a giant spider down there, and quite another to avoid a ghast or a ghoul that could easily creep through the rocks. He glanced back at the trees; back where the spider had been and where he had left Christina. Getting up in the branches would be a fairly safe spot from most of the things that were threats now. Especially with the spider gone.

Benny had not even had the chance to step in that direction when a female scream rang out back from where he had come, back where he had left Christina.

“Son of a bitch…..!”

Benny was running.

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

 

 

The carnage, even in this darkness, was astounding.

Where the trees had once been bone white they were now slick dark and smeared with gore. Parts of limbs were tossed and scattered all over the tight circle of trees and the mangled carcass of the spider was split and lumped to one side.

Benny hovered at the edges of the blood field, then winced as he stepped in and felt things squelch under his boot. His blue eyes were stern, hot and bright as they danced across the area, taking everything in. The smell of blood was overwhelming and Benny couldn’t hold back, couldn’t stop his lips from pulling back in a grimace, from his teeth growing long and sharp.

He held still and let his blade twist in his grip.

There was a soft sound coming from somewhere. It was so faint that he couldn’t pin point it, but it carried down into the air and sounding like faint whimpering.

Carefully Benny crept into the ring of trees more, his eyes flashing with his inner monster, taking in all the bodies strewn around. Benny surmised there were maybe eight or ten remains here…. Human looking but that meant nothing. The blood smelled like a mix of vampire and something else, smoothing sinister. It made it hard to focus to think.

So much blood.

Benny’s head swam with it. His jaw strained, aching to pull open wider. If he thought for a moment that if he hadn’t fed at the cave he would have been on his hands and knees, lapping at the puddles of it on the ground.

It was all still warm.

He couldn’t give in to it, not yet. Not now. Not until he found Christina.

Benny took another step and felt his boot hit something. His eyes shifted down to see a round shape lolling against his foot. A severed head. And then he saw blonde hair.

His insides seized up cold and all the blood lust coiling in his gut drained away into something queasy. He reached down with his free hand, fingers almost trembling as they thread through the blonde hair and tugged the head around to reveal the face. The hair was matted against it, blood soaked and sticking.

Benny choked trying to uncover the face, “Christina…..no….”

“Benny I’m sorry.”

Benny’s head snapped up and he yanked his hand away from the head.

Up in a branch, seated against the trunk was Christina. Her back was against the bark, shoulders slumped sad and dejected with one leg curled close to her body as the other dangled down. She was alive, but utterly caked in carnage. She pushed a blood slick hand across her nose and Benny realized then the sound he had been hearing was her crying quietly.

“You left, and I didn’t mean to make you cross with me. But you were being so stupid and not paying attention… and… and then they came. So many of them and I had to Benny. I had to do it. I couldn’t let them find you or hurt you or….” Her voice was so small, so fragile. Such a contrast to the devastation around them.

Benny straightened and slowly made his way over to the tree. He could see now where she had climbed up, prints and marks of blood telling the tale.

“Angel….” He called up softly, “Can’t stay here darlin’. The scent of blood will bring others. We need to go.”

“Yes.” She was shifting on her perch, sliding her leg down to join the other.

“We need to find another tree some place away from here….” Benny was canvassing the area just beyond the tree ring, trying to keep his eyes out for movement. But the blood all around him, the pull of it, the need for it, was growing stronger. He flared out his nostrils, drawing in the smell of it as his teeth fully extended. He could taste it on his tongue, feel the thick richness of it sliding between his lips. He began to pant for it, his body lowering to drink.

“No Benny…. “ She was down now, dropping as light as a petal to stand before him, close again but not as much as before. “Wait.”

Her hand came up and touched his cheek ever so softly and it brought his face around to her a beat later. He flinched, suddenly ashamed of his fangs and his gleaming eyes and the way his nostrils flared drinking in the scent of the blood. He made to step back, also suddenly and painfully aware of the heart beating in her chest, of the blood coursing swift in her veins; the pull of it in his current state demanding and strong.

Her thumb came to smooth along his tense bottom lip, whether through boldness or innocence Benny couldn’t tell. Her other hand went swift to catch hold of Benny’s coat keeping him in place.

“Don’t… no….” Benny tried to reel back, pull away from her even as every muscle in his body thrummed to snap forward and take her.

Close by there was a howl, and then another as monsters drawn to the smell of the blood came closer.

In spite of this, Christina affirmed her grip and yanked Benny closer. Her nose nudging against his other cheek now and Benny nearly swooned as he was over come with her scent. It was life and summer and completely the opposite of everything around them, and it made Benny tremble in confusion and hunger.

She hugged him closer, planting his open thirsting mouth right against her throat, pressing him to it even as behind them Benny could hear a snarl of some new beast entering the tree ring.

Why weren’t they fleeing? Why weren’t they fighting? Why was she going to let him feed on her now, here, with everything around them sliding into death, chaos and oblivion? Had she gone mad?

Benny resisted but her grip held. He could feel his teeth breaking her tender skin now, her blood blooming sweet through the fresh punctures. He let out a soft sound of hunger and weakness. He felt his eyes sting as he squeezed them closed.

“….no…” The word came out a bare murmur from him.

“It’s okay.” She soothed.

Benny heard something snap it’s jaws and lunge, then realized it was himself as he grappled her hard and began to drink, folding her small body against his. His mouth latched ravenously to her neck and he felt her grip back. He pressed his eyes closed tighter as he gulped down her life-blood.

Behind them something growled and stirred and came at them, wet splatters of paws running to them across the tree circle.

“Benny, don’t open your eyes and don’t let go!”

There was a shift and a pull, and Christina hoisted him up somehow. Benny felt the ground fall away from under his feet and then air was swirling around them. Something large pulsed behind her back but Benny was so far gone the only thing he really was aware of was the heavenly blood sluicing across his tongue and down his throat.

The air current shifted again and Benny felt them fall, soft and airy. Then the spongy mosses of the bog close to the cave were under his feet, the earthy scent filling up his nose.

He broke his hold on her throat and quickly looked around.

They were both near the cave now, miraculously.

He looked down to her quickly as she sagged in his arms.

She brushed the back of her fingers tenderly against his bloodied cheek and gave him a sleepy smile. “Home again, home again, jiggity jig.” Behind her, large diaphanous and shimmering dragonfly wings sagged out from under her cloak to trail along the ground.

Benny scooped her close and carried her quickly into the safety of the cave, letting the wings trail behind her. His body buzzed and tingled as her blood sang through him. The connection to the fae lands that infused her blood lit him up from the inside. He could hear sounds from farther away, see crystal clear out into the night and his strength was doubled. Every inch of his skin was alive unlike anything he had ever known.

He inhaled deep of her honeyed scent as he placed her gently back by the spring inside the cave and he knew then a part of him was lost to her irrevocably.

She stroked his cheek once more and smiled again. “You’ll be able to fend off anything that finds us here.” She reached up to kiss his cheek once. “Thank you for coming back.”

Then she was slipping into unconsciousness.

Benny checked her pulse and found it stable, and strengthening. He titled her head and surveyed where he had bitten her, the wound closed now. It looked ugly though, purpled and bruised. He shucked off his coat and covered her, then slowly made his way to the spring.

He bathed and scrubbed out his clothing, the chill from the air not touching his skin at all as he waited for his clothes to dry. When he was dressed once more, he hefted his blade in hand.

He kept watch over the entry to the cave all that long night and neither of them moved again until the sky faded from its cruel blackness into that hazy pale cinereal sky once more.

 

 

 

**_(to be continued)_ **


	5. Heart

Hours later as that soft hush blanketed the forests of Purgatory once more and the beasts and monsters that had run wild in the dark settled and silenced, Christina stirred.

Benny felt it more than heard her. His veins were still ringing with energy, singing with life and green grass and fireflies and summer. His bones felt like mountains under his skin, anchoring him to ground in a way that was fortifying yet soothing. It was intoxicating and medicinal at the same time. It had also waned as the hours passed, calming from an electric pulse down to a steady low resonance. Benny knew when it faded entirely he would be tempted for more.

Even before this he had been tempted for more. So much more.

He sat down, cross-legged, at the entrance of the cave and listened to her pull his coat away from her body, listened as she arranged her cloak and her clothes carefully before standing.

And in that moment he understood the connection between Dean and Castiel. How you can breach a place inside someone else on a level that had nothing to do with sex or physicality. How inner souls and energy can touch, mix, and mingle. How laying a hand on a man in Hell and raising him back into the world would forge something so…. Profound. How what Christina said was true. Blood and life were energy that could be exchanged, merged, and knit together in ways that changed the forms that carried them.

Benny briefly wondered if his bite mark on her throat would become like the handprint Dean said he once had from Castiel. Maybe Castiel’s print was unintentional too.

Christina came to stand just behind Benny’ back, one knee nearly brushing his spine. He felt a soft pop of vibration from her that lasted but a brief moment. It encased her and then dissipated down into the ground. Once it was gone she ever so slowly came to kneel behind him, cuddling against his back while tenderly slipping her arms about his shoulders.

“I’m sorry I fed from you Angel.” Benny hung his head.

“And yet you aren’t.” She replied, and her words were as gentle as her arms were around him. “And I hope you aren’t. It was necessary.”

“How’d you figure that?” Benny sighed.

“Let’s back up just a moment before we talk about that okay?” She hugged him briefly, one hand coming to curl around one of his suspenders. He simply nodded and she continued. “We were angry with each other first.”

Christina felt his shoulders tighten up under her yet she pressed on, “I was unhappy with you because I thought you understood what we were doing…. How we were baiting the spider and how it would be simple. Easy. And when you did not find fun in the hunt, I did not understand. When one goes for a swim, one expects to get wet.”

Benny brought his hand up to cover the one she had laced around his suspender. He gave her hand a small squeeze and left his hand there. His shoulders relaxed. “I… I was distracted. M’ mind was off other places an’ it shouldn’t have been. I was annoyed at myself and then when you startled me, I took it out on you.”

“M’ sorry Angel.” Benny brought his head up and let his eyes roam over the bog in front of the cave. Out there are all still as it usually was.

They sat quiet for a moment and then she placed a small kiss on his shoulder. “Forgive me for startling you.”

Benny nodded, and then let out a small nervous chuckle. “Not used to be’in around fairies…..I guess.”

“When you came back….?” Christina murmured the words against his shoulder with her mouth.

“….to all that blood?” He tilted his head to look at her sidelong. “Cripes woman, you ripped them all into a gory pudding. I dunno if I have ever seen so much blood before….”

“And yet you were able to hold off your blood lust when you first arrived. But then after you were there longer, it overcame you. Do you know why?” Her other hand began to idly linger up and down his other arm.

“I heard a scream, thought it was you, came back and all I thought of was if you were safe…. If you were okay. And when I saw you alive in that tree…” Benny shook his head, “I guess my focus shifted after that and the blood took center stage.”

After a paused he asked, “Why were you cryin’?”

“I was scared. I thought I had lost you… driven you off. Didn’t think you would come back.” She gave a light shrug yet it moved her whole body. “And then those beasts came, sort of part vampire, part wraith, part other things. I was so terrified they would find you and hurt you.”

Benny released his hold on Christina’s hand and then turned. He moved his body around so he was half facing her, allowing him to meet her eyes. He saw then she had glamoured away the blood and ichor that was on her last night. Once again she was whole, clean, perfect. Her wings were also gone and Benny wondered if that vibration he had felt was them vanishing. He put those thoughts out of his head and returned to focusing on their discussion.

“Why did you let me feed on you?” His eyes took on a sad mournful cast as he looked at her now.

Instantly her hands came to cup around his cheeks, her fingers sweetly smoothing along the line of his beard. “You were close to frenzy. The blood lust would have overcome you. And more creatures were coming. It was best to distract you, get you close so I could fly us away. It was the most efficient solution.”

“Other wise I woulda turned and fought, and….” His eyes softened.

“Been lost to me.” Christina’s eyes were so warm now, their rich darkness inviting and comforting. And then there was a flicker of something that shimmered across them followed by a playful curl of her lips, “How would that look if a Champion Knight of the Summer Court lost her squire?”

Benny couldn’t help but smile, a huff of a chuckle coming up. “Your squire eh? Ain’t that like a servant or somethin’?”

Her smile grew wider as she feigned indignation, “It is no such thing! A squire is a noble calling, to aid the knight in all endeavors, to be by the knight’s side and assist in all things.”

Another chuff of mirth came from Benny’s lips. “Uh-huh. Probably only want me ‘round to carry your shield and see to your horse. Or run your errands and do your bidding.”

Christina leaned in and softly nudged her nose against Benny’s. “You’ll be the worst squire if that were so. I can not see you doing anyone’s bidding but your own.”

“Prolly true Angel….” His eyes met hers directly and they both paused, smiles still hovering yet something else began to pass between them, the air warming around them. Benny realized he could feel the ebb and tug of energy inside her, not just her blood as a vampire always does. But further than that. Deeper. It thrummed like a second heart. “Did you know your blood would be this potent inside me?”

She paused and there was pure honesty and concern in her eyes. “I wasn’t certain. Is it unpleasant?”

Benny flicked his eyes down to her lips and then back up to her eyes, “Not at all darlin’…. Though it might be problematic down the line.”

“How so?” And if she didn’t just squint her eyes and tilt her head like Dean’s angel just then, making Benny nearly laugh aloud at the absurdity of it.

Benny gestured between them. “Don’t you feel it? The bond that’s there now?”

Christina was very still for a long moment and then her eyes widened. Surprise and genuine regret came over her face. “Oh Benjamin… I did not know this would happen… it was not my intent to create that.”

Benny smiled, and he let it out a bit roguishly. “I don’t mind Angel. It’s okay.” He nodded and she mimicked the nod in return.

“It’s okay?”

“Yes.” Benny leaned in, bringing his lips just to hers, his words small puffs of air against her. “More than okay. I’m going to kiss you now Christina Peaseblossom.”

“Squ… squires don’t usually k…kiss their knights….” Her dark eyes blinked as her cheeks swept bright with color. “Do they?”

“This one’s gonna unless his Knight tells him no.” Benny’s smile crept up as his eyes went hooded with mirth and with desire. “What happened to all your cheeky bravado lil’Angel?”

“Just harmless teasing, I never thought you’d really want….” Her breath was light now, words quiet and held in anticipation. Their lips were so close.

“I do want now….” Benny smiled, “Is that a yes Angel?”

“By Puck’s horns Benjamin La Fitte! This girl would be crazy not to…..” Her smile echoed his and she finished the distance between them.

Her eyes closed as her lips parted and they came together in the sweetest of kisses. Their lips pressed and slipped and caressed as they drew closer, gathering each other into their arms to hold and keep. Her lips tasted of berries and light summer sea breezes, and as it deepened to a richer kiss Benny held on tighter.

He had never known something so perfect as this embrace and their kiss, and he suddenly believed in every fairy tale he had ever heard.

 

~

 

When they pulled away from each other, they were blushing with mirthful smiles and soft laughter bubbling up from their chests. They gathered their weapons and their belongings to wend their way through the bog and back into the primary forests of Purgatory. The wet green colours from the bogs bled down into the faded grays of the other trees while the dead leaves under their boots crumpled and went to dust.

As they walked they shared stories using quiet voices. Benny told Christina about how he met Dean, how they found Castiel, and how they had fought to find the Portal that took Benny and Dean back into the World. He confessed his loneliness there, how hard it had been not to give into his darker urges, how when Dean asked him to come back Benny had done so but it had been bitter sweet. Christina shared her life raised in the Fae courts, how she had trained and won championships. How she had proven herself in battle to earn her place as a Knight.

And after they had recounted their histories to each other, they talked more, about their fears and their hopes, and of their dreams and desires.

They walked for a great distance, covering forest and mountain, valley and field. They forded rivers and climbed cliff sides. They fought off werewolves and vampires, and other creatures that assailed them.

And they gathered more items for Christina’s list: A werewolf’s heart, A rugarou’s finger. The toes of a ghoul. A wraith’s ear. A flask filled with the blood of a giant snake. The bottled wail of a lamia.

But it wasn’t until they came to the edge of a great sea and stood on its fog shrouded empty shores that Benny reached out and clasped Christina’s small hand into his to bring to his lips. He tenderly kissed her knuckles and kept her hand against his beard as they surveyed the vastness of the bleak ocean.

“How many more things do we need to bring back to your Lady?” Benny glanced down to Christina, watching her eyes grow calculated and cunning as they looked over the surface of the waters.

“The tears of a witch, demon sulfur and….” She took in a deep breath, “The ink sack of a Kraken.”

“Sounds messy.” Benny chuckled and tugged a little on her arm, asking her to face him.

Christina looked up at him, eyes dark and somber, “Probably. But it will be the last thing we gather.” She took a deep breath before she continued, “We’ll need to go the everyday world for the other two. Are you going to be alright when we do?”

Benny took a moment and studied her face. Going back would be temporary, just long enough to gain the items she needed. It wouldn’t be like before and this time, he wouldn’t be as alone. “I will lil’Angel, it’ll be fine. Also….” He brought her fingers up to kiss once more and delighted in the way it caused the rose of her cheeks to bloom so sweetly. “I may know someone who can help us if we need it.”

“You’re friend Dean and his brother?” She raised her brow and fought down the smile tugging at her lips as he continued to toy with her fingers.

“Maybe.” Benny smiled teasingly, “Maybe I’ll ask Dean’s angel.”

“Oh no, I am not going within a league of any true angels.” She shook her head and pulled away from him, shaking one finger in the air. “Angels are warriors of God. They are soldiers, terrifying. He could snap his fingers and I would be naught but a small pile of fae dust.”

“Alright, alright.” Benny was grinning wider now, “So how are we gonna get there darlin’? You know what we went through to get Dean, and then later Sam, back into the big world.” A glint flickered into Benny’s eyes. “You gonna fly us there on your wings?”

Christina had turned away from the sea and had been walking carefully along the shore, her eyes doing a methodical sweep ahead of them as she went. “Don’t be ridiculous Benny. My body does not have wings.”

Benny fell into step behind her, “Are you kiddin’ me Angel? I saw them. Big transparent things, like dragon fly wings…..”

“I have no idea what you are talking about.” Christina kept herself face forward.

Benny stopped. “Why’re you lyin’ to me Christina?”

She took a few more strides forward and then halted. Her shoulders sagged slightly before she turned around in a controlled graceful move. When she was facing him her eyes were closed, “I am not….” a quick sigh of exasperation came from her before she said, “I am not lying to you. They aren’t my wings. I was…. borrowing… them.”

“Borrowing?” Benny quirked his head in confusion and made to take a step closer to her.

She stopped him by holding up one hand. Then she began to unclasp her cloak from her shoulders. She moved to stand in front of him and handed him her cloak. He took it, and she began to undo the buttons on the front of the brocade doublet she wore. Once that was open, she untied the white soft shirt beneath and then pulled that open.

She exposed the upper part of her chest to him, the area above and between her breasts. And there, just over her heart was a large fist sized star shaped scar. The tissue was smooth and silken, not raised, but the flesh was very dark purple.

When their eyes met, Benny’s were pained, confused, concerned.

“I told you how I won many competitions and battles for my Lady, so that I would earn my place as her Knight?” She swallowed, nervous at sharing what she was about to reveal.

“I remember.” Benny was nearly whispering.

“This was a gift from my Lady when I was Knighted.” Christina let the fingers of one hand dance over the scar once, “Implanted next to my heart is the heart of a Fae Dragon. I am imbued with its power, its energy. It is what I called upon to defeat the Leviathan that day and it is why when you fed on me you were energized. It will be part of me for the rest of my existence. And when I manifested wings, twas not mine but the dragon’s that you beheld.”

Christina began to cover herself once more, tying closed her white shirt. “I will understand if you think less of me now, knowing I am…. affected… so.”

Benny dropped her cloak to the sand and scooped her into a deep kiss as his reply. He told her with his lips that whatever she was, it did not matter.

When he pulled back, gentle and slow, his voice rumbled between them. “Angel, you are what you are… and I am what I am. If you can handle this old grumpy sea salt of a vampire, I can sure as hell handle such a magnificent, amazing young lady as yourself.” He purred out another chuckle, “In fact darlin’ I’d say I’m gettin’ the better end of the deal. I’m real happy you found me Angel.”

Christina’s eyes were shining bright, their dark brown irises flecked with shots of gold now that mirrored the happy smile on her face. A light laugh escaped her as she said, “Look at us. Great warriors, slayers of beast and foe…. now not more than romantic saps standing on the shores of a dead sea.”

“Huh,” Benny grunted, “I’ll take it.” He bent down and collected her cloak, shaking it free of sand before he helped her put it back on. “So how do we get back to the human world lil’Miss Dragonheart?”

She paused for a moment as she retrieved a piece a chalk from a pocket. She held it up with a triumphant grin, but when he merely shrugged and looked at it with a bewildered smile, she sighed. “We use a door.”

“That looks like a piece a’chalk to me…”Benny eyed it skeptically.

Christina rolled her eyes at him, caught his wrist and began to tug him along behind her. “Come, O’Benny of LaFitte, let me educate you in how to walk between the veils......”

 

_**(to be continued)** _


	6. Through The Looking Glass

 

 

Mirrored surfaces held firm, unmoving, slick flat rigid planes cut with hard stark light and deep shadow. They held stoic, lined up like unfeeling soldiers against a dark wall. Near them, gaunt pale figures held just as still and static, poised and immobile, draped in gauzy black cascades of thin fabric. The atmosphere was silent and didn’t stir.

At first.

A sound shimmered through the air, faint and watery like bubbles rising in the deep of the ocean. The sound grew louder, rising and falling as if caught in a tidal pull. And then behind it, pushing through, shouts and the sounds of fighting. As the sound grew louder, one of the mirror surfaces began to shudder, the vibration barely perceptible at first but then gaining. The noise leveled off but the shaking of the mirror had not and soon it was rattling loudly, nearly vibrating off its spot on the wall.

Muffled and garbled, a man’s voice cried out “chRISTinaaa…!”

There was a popping sound and the mirror that had been vibrating rippled like a deep pool whose surface had been broken by a stone being dropped in it. Two forms clutching tightly to each other came through the mirror, its surface like water yet not clinging to them. They fell through, tumbling down to the ground as the mirror wobbled and bowed in and then out and then in again.

The two figures were wrapped together, the larger one’s body curled in a protective hold on the other. Both were dirty, coated in black goo and ash. Behind them the mirror smoothed and calmed, returning swiftly to its original state. The pale figures around them did not move or flinch.

Slowly, the larger person, a burly man, drew back carefully from the smaller person, cradling them as if they were too precious and might break. The man pushed away the smaller person’s cloak and sucked in a pained sound at the wet dark blood there.

“Dammit Angel…. Why’d ya go and get bit….” The man, Benny Lafitte, let out a heavy sigh as he carefully peeled Christina’s blood soaked shirt away from her shoulder. The scent of it made Benny’s tongue twitch, but he quelled the urge to lick and drink. The bite was wide in diameter with conical needle like punctures deep into her flesh.

Christina murmured and winced, fumbling and then weakly handing Benny one of the pouches from her belt. “Couldn’t…. help it. Had to get the door open…”

Cradling Christina still with one arm while he opened the pouch with another, Benny merely grunted in reply. Inside the pouch was a jar with some kind of salve and some bandages.

“If I had….lost contact with the door…. It would not have opened….” She swooned at little from the blood loss, her hand hovering over her heart and the dragon heart. But like before when they were along the riverside, when she had unleashed the light to slay the Leviathan, her eyes were now milky blind.

“Shush Angel. And hold still.” Benny spat out as he lowered her against the floor. He kept her turned so that the wounded shoulder was raised, but allowed his hands free to work. He opened the jar of salve and began to dab it into the bite. Trying to keep his hands from trembling. The scent of the salve was pungent with pine and mint, and it killed the smell of her blood in his nose. He grumbled about how those bastard Leviathan seem to show up at the worst moments.

They had left the beach, walking hand in hand until they had come to where great volcanic rocks rose up from the ground. The rock edges had been obsidian and lethally sharp. Beyond that, a plain of smooth solidified lava spread away. It was here Christina had taken the chalk and drawn a door with a doorknob on the ground. She had placed her hand dead center of it as she chanted an incantation.

No sooner had she begun the spell, streaks of oily black plumes had come screaming across the sky. Four Leviathans had landed, cackling about forcing their way through the door and snacking on the vampire and the faerie while they were at it.

But Benny had been ready, his blade out and held low, hidden from them at his side. And once they were fully formed and solid, he had sprung forward to take the head off the one nearest him. It was the ichor from that wound that was sticking to he and Christina now, mingled with the remains of the others.

Their advantage of surprise only lasted that moment, and one of the Leviathan was on Christina. Its maw had rent wide as it chomped down onto her shoulder. And Benny couldn’t come to her aid, as he was busy dodging attacks by the last two Leviathans. He removed the head of one, when the second reared back and stepped away. Its eyes were on Christina and the one biting her.

A second later there was a blinding light flaring all around Benny and the sounds of the remaining Leviathans exploding into brackish offal. When his vision cleared, he had turned to find Christina beginning to slump over, falling into a pool of ripping water where there had before been volcanic rock.

Benny had dashed to catch her, but she had gripped him and pulled him down with her. They had fallen into the pool and then back out through the other side of its surface. They had dropped into this room without once becoming wet.

The bite tended and bandaged now, Benny hazarded a glance up.

They were in the ladies clothing department of some high-end store, back beside a row of mirrors. The store was closed, mainly dark except for a few security lights that were on. Everything was quiet and undisturbed.

Benny gathered Christina up in his arms, and stood. She was limp, unconscious from the blood loss and wiping out the Leviathan. He took a longer look around the store and found an exit. Ever so gently Benny shifted her into a fireman’s carry as he made his way over to that way out. Once there, he steeled himself and pushed the door open.

As the alarm rang out, Benny fled out into the night, running as hard and as fast as he was able.

 

~

 

The underpass afforded some shelter and some cover, headlights from the few vehicles out this time of night not reaching as high up on the slope of cement where Benny had tucked Christina. She was wrapped up in her cloak, with his back against hers as he faced outwards. Vigilant eyes watching to make certain no one had followed them from the department store.

He sat there for a long time, waiting for the hint of dawn to flicker on the horizon before he reached deep into a pocket in his coat to pull out a small flip style cell phone. He shook his head and bit his lip lightly, feeling pretty certain that its battery was probably dead by now. Benny opened it anyway and tapped the power button.

To his astonishment, it flared to life, fully charged. He wondered if this was a strange by product of the energy Christina had unleashed before they teleported…. Or whatever it was that she had done to bring them into the World. With a nervous smirk he dialed a number and waited.

It rang five times before a groggy voice on the other end mumbled out, “…better be death or fire because this early if its not the end of the world I’mma end whoever this is….”

Benny smiled fondly at the voice. He had missed hearing it. “Dean.”

The other end of the call went very silent, and then Benny could hear movement and the rustle of fabric before Dean’s more alert voice breathed out, “Benny?! Is that you?!”

“Hey brutha.” Benny chuckled. “Sorry ta’wake you.”

“Benny how is this…. you were…. Sam said…” Dean flustered out.

“Long story. And I won’t take up your time tellin’ it.” Benny looked around his arm at Christina sleeping behind him. “Not sure you’d believe me either.”

“….That has to be some story if you think I might find it hard to believe….” Dean’s voice was calming, becoming steady and awake. “Where are you Benny?”

“Not sure exactly. Under some overpass.” Benny rubbed his fingers against his brow under his hat. “Listen Dean, I know you prob’bly have a lot goin’ on, and I’m not gonna bother ya much. I just need to ask ya a few things and then I’ll be outta your hair.”

“No Benny….” Dean paused, and Benny felt disappointment swell up in his chest.

“It’s okay Dean. I’m sorry ta have bothered you….” Benny’s shoulders slumped.

“No no, listen Benny, don’t hang up!” Dean voice was hurried now, “Look, a lot’s happened…. And I owe you, big time. Just… let’s figure out where you are and I’ll come to you.”

“Are you sure Dean? I just…. it’s not that important. I just need your advice on how to find two things.” Benny kept his eyes wary now that the light of day was brightening and they might be more easily spotted where he and Christina were resting.

“Two things? What two things?!” The skepticism in Dean’s voice was apparent.

“I need to get hold of some demon sulfur and a vial of witches tears….” Benny shifted, then held the phone down a moment as he rolled Christina over. She nodded, waking and leaned into his arm.

“Okay I am coming to find you, right the fuck now.” Dean barked.

Benny helped Christina to stand, and then both made their way to the edge of the underpass, ducking into some brush. Benny let Christina sit there to continue to regain her strength while he hiked up the side embankment to the highway running across the overpass. He checked the signs around it and then began to walk back to Christina. He told Dean, “Looks like we’re along I57 near a town called Gilman.”

“We?” Dean barked again, “Never mind. Stay there. Don’t move! I’m on my way.” And with that Dean hung up.

Here was another moment where Benny still kind of wished his body drew breath, and he sucked in a deep intake of air anyway and pushed it back out. He hadn’t counted on actually seeing Dean again. He had hoped to just gain some of Dean’s hunter knowledge, make use of Dean’s experience in finding the items Christina needed. Benny realized his hand had come up to rub against his throat absently. The last time he had seen Dean, Dean had removed Benny’s head from his shoulders.  
Benny felt a tightness twanging through his chest and it occurred to him that Dean might not be too happy to see him. He considered getting Christina on her feet and getting away from here, avoiding Dean and trying to locate the things they needed on their own. But then Dean hadn’t sounded angry, and without Dean’s help Benny wasn’t sure how they would find a witch much less a demon.

Christina turned to Benny as he pushed through the brush to join her in the little copse she had found just off from the underpass. She looked up questioningly as he sat but when he just shook his head and stretched out beside her on the ground, she just nodded and remained quiet. Her eyes were normal again, but Benny could tell she was still drained and healing.

“I called my friend, an they’ll be comin’ ta help us.” Benny glanced at her quickly, “I called Dean.”

“Did he answer your summons?” She asked softly.

Benny nodded, and then reached his hand out to hers. She clasped her hand into his and let their fingers entwine. “He’s on his way, yea.”

“Is his angel coming with him?” She looked at him sidelong, nervousness edging along her eyes.

“Don’t think so. He didn’t mention anyone else coming along.” Benny gave a shrug. “We’ll just have to see.”

Christina nodded and looked up into the sky, “Indeed.” Her shoulders still had not relaxed however.

Benny let a small smile play across his face and he brought her hand to his lips to kiss, then toyed and nibbled at her fingers gently. She blushed and rolled her eyes but did not tug her hand away.

“Are you feeling better Angel?” He purred.

She nodded; still blushing yet she kept her eyes on the brightening sky above them. “Do you miss this realm Benny?”

“Naw. I mean, not for th’ most part.” His voice went low, “I don’t miss th’ way the hunger gnawed at me here. In purgatory, it’s a dull empty ache. Here it’s more like a hot ember itchin’ and needlin’ at ya.” Benny sighed, “Though, I do miss my great-granddaughter Elizabeth. Sure did enjoy spending time ‘round her and bein’ part of her life.”

Christina turned then and snuggled down close against Benny, “Tell me then, of you family. Tell me all about them…”

And so they stayed there, waiting for Dean to find them as Benny told Christina about his human life, his children and then about Elizabeth. They talked late into the afternoon and then talked more as the sun set, finally wrapping up in each others arms to rest through the night and wait for the coming of the next day.

 

_**(to be continued)** _


	7. Two Knights

A dull amber yellow glow coloured the area, making it look dirtier and more run down than it actually was. Where there was no light, dingy sepia toned shadows deepened and sat, lazy and unmoving. The light came from overhead lamps and signs, and long neon strips that rimmed the roof of the square unimaginative building. It was an older gas station, built sometime in the early 1980s when style was cardboard and plain. The lone decorative elements on the awnings and walls were faded out orange shapes and lines. The place had four gas pumps and a small convenience store that didn’t sell much more than cigarettes, stale coffee, warm soda and lottery tickets. Its windows and door were as yellowed as its lighting.

It was on the grimy curb under one of the store’s windows that Benny and Christina sat now, waiting for Dean per the instructions the hunter had sent to them twenty minutes ago.

When they heard the sound of the Impala before it appeared to crest on the turn of the road, Benny stood up and straightened his coat and hat. Christina rose beside him, watching Benny make himself more presentable even though they were both still splattered with Leviathan goo.

Christina also took in how Benny’s hands twitched a little nervously as the muscle car parked nearby. When the engine cut off and the door opened, Benny wiped his palms against his coat for the third time.

A tall man with honey brown hair pulled himself out of the car. He was broad shouldered and muscled, with a bearing like some of the older members of Tatiana’s court. It spoke of battles fought and won, and of a confidence in the man’s own abilities. However, how the man held his hands, loose at his sides, also showed trust… at least in Benny.

The man strode right up to Benny, a warm smile growing on his face as he approached. Benny visibly relaxed, and the two men embraced in a quick tight firm hug. When they eased away from each other, the man let his hand linger on Benny’s shoulder.

“Good to see you Dean.” The apples of Benny’s cheeks were high, riding on the big smile currently on his face.

“Benny, I can’t tell you how relieved I am to see you, you son-of-a-bitch.” Dean chuckled out, but his voice held an edge of emotion to it. Emotion kept in careful check.

And then Dean turned to fix his eyes on Christina, his smile still in place. “Well hey….”

When their eyes met, Christina’s went wide and her face paled. She shifted her foot back, balancing her weight on instinct as if preparing to defend against an attack. “Benny… please… step over here…” Her hand took hold onto the edge of her cloak as the other rested on the pommel of one of the knives on her belt.

Dean’s smile dimmed and his body, true to the warrior he was, shifted into a defensive stand subtly and without conscious thought.

Benny was having none of it though. He glared at Christina, remaining where he was standing near Dean, “What’s gotten into you darlin’?”

“Benny… he bears The Mark!” She flicked her cloak back and reached for her bow.

“Th’ what?!” Benny’s face scrunched up in confusion.

Dean let out a breath and his body relaxed once more. He gently removed his hand from Benny’s shoulder as he turned to his old friend. He gave Christina one calculating quick look before he began to roll up the sleeve of his right arm. He exposed a red tribal looking mark that was scarred into his forearm before he looked Benny dead in the eye.

“After you got Sam back to me, a lot of shit in the fan.” Dean swallowed, as if preparing himself for Benny’s reaction, “One of which was that a Knight of Hell was kicking up shit in a big way….”

Benny looked from the mark on Dean’s arm, and then met Dean’s gaze. “Big trouble then huh?”

“Yea.” Dean let out a nervous half laugh, “You could say that.”

“So what’s this then?” Benny gestured to the red mark on Dean’s arm.

“A means to defeat a Hell Knight…” Gasped Christina. She had stepped cautiously closer, eyeing the mark with even wider eyes, “To slay a Knight of Hell, he became a Knight of Hell….”

“Naw, no it’s not like that at all….” Dean scowled a little.

“It is like that. You carry the Mark of Cain. The first murderer, the brother killer. Son of Adam, slayer of Abel.” Christina whispered and came to stand closer to Benny.

Dean rolled his eyes, “Okay yes. I met up with Cain. But I needed this to be able to use the First Blade on Abaddon, to end her. And it worked. She’s toast.”

Benny remained silent, his face impassive and listening.

“And now? What about your eyes?” Christina curled her fingers tight into the sleeve of Benny’s coat.

Benny looked at Dean’s eyes. They were green as ever, and didn’t look any differently to him than they had that sad day in the alleyway when he and Dean had said their goodbyes. If anything, Dean’s eyes looked more tired, more soul worn. Benny felt a swell of sadness for Dean break in his chest and he wondered what awful things had befallen Dean since they had parted if Dean was willing to take on a mythos so dark in order to see the job done.

“How ya feelin’ right now brutha?” Benny asked in a gentle low voice.

“Honestly, just really wrecked. Sam and I just came off a case and I could use about twelve hours of sleep.” Dean pulled up a weak smile, and nodded towards his car. “How about we get a motel room some place and we get cleaned up and crash for a few hours…. What is all that black crap all over you two anyway?”

Christina brought herself to her full height, which though regal in her bearing, reached Benny’s shoulder and no higher. With pride she said, “The remains of four Leviathan.”

“Remains?” Dean quirked a brow and looked to Benny for clarification.

Benny smiled broadly. He clenched his fists a little, then flared out his fingers quickly mimicking an explosion and said, “Ka-boom.”

“Huh.” Dean rolled his sleeve down and met Christina’s eyes, “So who are you? A witch? Last time I saw clothing like that I was at Charlie’s LARP event…”

Christina gave Dean a cool look, “No witch.”

Benny brought one hand up, and coughed his amused laugh into it before smirking and gesturing to Christina, “Dean, this is Christina Peaseblossom. She’s um, a Knight of th’ Summer Court.” Benny glanced at Christina and a warm smile came over his face.

Dean narrowed his gaze a moment, “Summer Court? Why does that sound familiar…?”

“Dean, this gas station ain’t gonna stay empty for much longer.” Benny took hold of Christina’s arm and began to herd her towards the Impala.

“Right… right.” Dean scratched the back of his head and he strode back to his Baby.

 

~

 

Dean brought them to a motel not far away, a simple Red Roof Inn, and got them a room. Once inside the room Christina was the first into the bathroom, but not after she gave Dean one more wary look before she closed the door.

While she was in showering, Dean told Benny nearly everything that had happened since they last saw each other. He told about the angels falling, and about hunting Abaddon and how Sam was doing. Benny had begun recounting what happened after Sam had escaped Purgatory, but had only gotten as far as telling Dean how Christina had found him alongside the river, when she came out of the bathroom, herself and her clothing fresh and clean.

She immediately hustled Benny into the bath, and at first she shut herself in with Benny. Dean looked on curiously with a smirk and raised brows, but she came back out only after a moment or two. After she shut the door, she stood in front of it as if guarding Benny as he bathed.

Dean watched her there a moment before he relaxed back in his seat, his hands lifted to cradle the back of his head against laced fingers. “So Christina… Benny said you recruited him…. In Purgatory of all places… so he can help you with a quest?”

Christina remained where she was, watching the skepticism play out on Dean’s face.

“I mean, I’ve seen some stuff y’know. I know a thing or two about a thing or two. So, you’re human…. You had to be to bring Benny through the portal out of there.” Dean leaned back up again, never taking his eyes off of her. “What the heck is a Summer Court Knight and how the heck did you become one?”

“I am human. Mostly.” She met his gaze.

“Mostly?” Dean brought himself to the edge of his seat, elbows resting on his knees now.

“You know about Changelings. You know how they take children.” Christina kept very still. Behind her in the bath, they could hear Benny singing in the shower now.

“I do know about that, yes.” Dean laced his fingers together once more.

“Some children are taken from Changelings by the Fae.” Christina gave one small nod, “I was such. I was raised by Fae in my Lady Tatiana’s court. And once I proved myself a skilled warrior, I won a championship and became my Lady’s Knight.”

Dean processed this, and then he blinked. “Wait, fae? As in…. Fairies?!” He stood up quickly.

Christina met his sudden movement by drawing once of her daggers and narrowing in her eyes, “Yes. And know this Knight of Hell, if you harm Benny Lafitte in anyway I will use my power to end you.”

Dean’s face went from almost comical panic to deadly serious in quick succession, “Fairies suck.”

“So does that Mark.” She retorted.

“Little girl, you think you got the chops to take on someone with the First Blade, with the Mark of Cain? You wouldn’t be the first fairy I’ve killed.” Dean drew his thumb against the side of his mouth and his eyes went cold.

She took one side step away from the door and let her cloak slip back around one shoulder, “You wouldn’t be the first demon I’ve engaged in combat. I look forward to knowing your blood on my blades. And as long as you keep your angel out of our skirmish, I believe our battle would be epic and troubadours would sing of it for many lifetimes.”

At the mention of Castiel, the growing flat emptiness in Dean’s eyes stalled. “Cas? What does he have to do with this?”

“Your angel broke the boundaries of Purgatory, Hell and many of the other Realms! That’s why I am on this quest. The barriers are weakening between veils and kingdoms. Cracks and holes, back doors and passageways are widening with new ones forming constantly!” Christina spat, fury in her eyes. “My quest is to gain the spell components needed so that my Lady can undo the damage. Undo the ill-mannered folly your power hungry angel wrought!”

Dean clenched his hands at his sides, nostrils flaring. “Careful there…..”

“When he opened Purgatory and emptied it of souls, let the Leviathan free, he did more that just threaten your world here. And you must know this?!” Christina fumed, both hands on her bow now, brining it in front of her.

“No, I didn’t know! And I doubt Cas knows… He’s different now!” Dean growled and flexed his hands. “How could we know?!”

“You’re a Knight of Hell! He is an Angel of Heaven! How could you not?!” Christina cried out in answer, “This Universe is bigger than your own small view points. Your actions have far reaching consequences and they must be dealt with…”

The door to the bathroom flung open wide and Benny stepped out, looking quickly from Christina to Dean. Seeing them both nearly crouched and ready to draw weapons on each other, Benny moved to place himself between the two of them. He held up his hands in a placating gesture.

Both Dean and Christina shifted back away from each other. Dean took in a deep breath and eased back down into the chair he had been sitting in. Christina stepped back, pulling her cloak around her closely, the ends of her bow just peaking out.

“I heard y’all through the door. No doubt half the hotel too.” Benny tried to smile, in spite of feeling the tension still cutting through the air. “I didn’t call you Dean so we could cause you trouble… was not my intent. Jus’ need your help in getting a few things and then we’ll be on our way, outta your hair.”

Dean looked away with a nod, but his jaw tightened as the muscle there rolled slightly.

“And darlin’….” Benny reached out to stroke the back of his fingers along her cheek, “When I said this man cut a path of blood so wide he nearly drown all of Purgatory in it, I wasn’t kiddin’. I know you and he can probably go toe to toe but that ain’t helpin’ no one right now.”

She pulled her eyes from Dean and fixed them on Benny’s eyes. His face was calm, with a soft smile and tenderness in his gaze. She took in a deep breath and let her body relax a little. “I trust you Benny.”

Keeping his hand resting on her shoulder, Benny looked back to Dean. “I know you been through a lot brutha, but Christina has a point. This is a big pile of stink that ain’t gonna fix itself. And Castiel was the cause of it.”

Dean scrubbed one hand over his face and stood again. “Okay. Fine. What needs done?”

“We need a bottle of witches tears.” Christina slipped open her cloak and withdrew her bow slowly. Then she gently placed it on top of the low dresser next to her along the wall.

“I can get behind making a witch or two sob up a few quarts.” Dean shoved his hands into his jeans pockets. “What else?”

Christina brought her hands to her throat to unclasp her cloak, letting it slide from her shoulders and around into her hands. “And we need demon sulfur.”

“I can get that pretty easily too. Does it matter what type of demon or how much?” Dean asked, his face still showing annoyance but his eyes were calm now.

“The more potent the better.” Christina hefted one of the pouches off her waist. “For example, spider parts were required. I wanted to bring back the biggest ones I could find.”

Dean’s brows shot up a little, “Big spider?”

“Yea, remember that nasty thing that we had to run from?” Benny leaned against the dresser.

“How could I forget. The webbing was disgusting.” Dean snarked.

“We killed it.” Christina said plainly, and removed the other pouches from her belt to line them neatly along the dresser behind her bow.

Benny chuckled, “More like Christina killed it and I stood there with my mouth hangin’ open.”

“Huh.” Dean nodded, looking at Christina in a new light. After a moment he added, “So maybe a full coven of witch tears would be ideal then?”

“Yes.” Christina said plainly.

“How about the sulfur from the King of Hell himself?” Dean grinned. “You know, for that part.”

Christina squinted at Dean, her head tilting slightly at an odd angle and it made Dean pause, backing up one step. It was so unnatural in its execution and it reminded him of one crazy and not fun night in a cornfield many years ago.

She placed her hands on her hips. “Are you sure we want to involve ourselves with that little weasel?”

Dean choked back a laugh at her descriptor of Crowley. “So you know him.”

“He was at our Court seeking favor of my Lady before your angel broke everything.” Christina frowned.

Dean brought up one finger to point at Christina, “First off, stop calling Cas MY angel….”

Benny and Christina traded a look but stayed quiet.

“And secondly, Crowley was one of the reasons Cas opened Purgatory in the first place. So that little… weasel… is just as much to blame….” Dean gestured and nodded, as if he found his own statement very satisfactory, “Of not more so….Than Cas.”

“Very well. But since when is a Knight able to summon a King? And when does the Knight have the power to cause that King to do the Knight’s bidding?” Christina folded her arms over her chest.

Dean pulled out his cell phone with a pleased smirk, “Since the ‘king’ owes me big time, and since I’ve got the little weasel on speed dial.”

 

 

**_(to be continued)_ **


	8. The Wailing Witches

The house was brittle and dying, mold eating it from the inside out, a cancer born of nature and time. Gray green streaks of rot slithered up its walls and down its sides. Darker fetid shadows gnawed hungrily from within and echoed in the broken stained windows throughout. Once, long ago, the house had been white and breezy, its wide porches beckoning with respite and safety. Families had come and made the house their home, bringing love and life. But then each time some ill had befallen them, some curse sent misery and bane into every room. Those families had fled, fleeing for their own sanity and survival. In time good gentle folk no longer came to the house and it remained empty and hollow save for the echoes of the evils lingering still within.

It was in this house’s backyard among over grown bramble and weed that three figures now stood. The color of their clothing and even the cast of their skin a bright contrast to the sallow hue of the house. The three stood a moment longer before they turned to slip alongside the house’s western facing edges, hiding themselves against a long disused stack of old folding metal chairs.

They settled in and waited, and soon the sun sank.

Not long after dark fell, new figures came quietly to the house, easing themselves with hushed footsteps through the back door. They did not speak, but moved with practice, as if they were accustomed to being there. When a flicker of light became visible from one of the basement windows, the three people waiting hidden outside crept from their spot.

They slunk into the house without pause, clear in their mission. When they reached the closed door to the basement, two of them held back and kept watch. The third and the smallest of them opened the basement door and then in light footfalls descended the steps down and in. The two remaining behind, large men, broad of shoulder with grim faces and hard eyes, turned away from the door.

Below in the basement they could hear confused voices, and one went to shout out but it was cut off. A blinding light broke hard through the lower room, white and brilliant punched by sudden surprised screams and then silence and darkness.

A moment of stillness passed and one of the men waiting clenched his fists in nervous tension.

Then there was the flicker of candlelight and a soft female voice called up, “It’s safe now, they are all put down.”

In an instant the man who had been clenching his fists flew down the steps and into the room below. His sharp pale blue eyes darted quickly to take in the scene, and when his gaze landed on his companion not far from him, he exhaled loudly in relief at seeing her safe.

“Dude, it’s so weird to see you do that.” The other man exclaimed as he brushed past the first man. He walked around the basement as his eyes adjusted to the flickering light.

“What?” The first man looked over in confusion at the second.

“You are a vampire Benny, I believe Dean thinks it odd when you simulate breathing responses.” Christina, the first one down the steps from their trio, was standing and leaning against her bow slightly, it’s end planted firm against the cement floor of the basement. On the floor’s surface was a meticulously painted summoning circle, and on top of that were the now comatose bodies of thirteen witches.

Dean glanced at Christina, then looked at Benny. “Yea, you’re right. She does talk like Cas….” He was surveying the rest of the basement, taking in other details. There was a large altar and two other tables draped in black cloth, as well as a brazier sputtering with the beginnings of a small fire. The altar was set up with the usual accouterments including a demonic grimoire of some sort. Dean gestured to the unconscious witches on the floor, “Are you sure they are down for the count?”

Christina turned fully into the light of the candle she had lit. Her eyes were milky white and cloudy, “Yes.”

Dean startled when he saw her, “What the hell happened to your eyes?!”

Benny moved quickly to Christina’s side, cupping her cheek to turn her face to his so he could look closer. They didn’t look as bad as when she had blasted Leviathan in purgatory, but they still were unsettling. She gently wrapped her fingers around his hand and gave Benny a reassuring smile.

“It is a side effect of using my….power.” Christina tugged Benny’s hand down, “If these practitioners had been using their gifts for good and not ill, I would not have been able to affect them. It is why Benny is unharmed each time. However, the use of it drains me for a brief time.” She nodded to the witches. “They will not stay out for long, we should bind them.”

Both men nodded in agreement, and then went together upstairs to retrieve the items they had brought with them, left behind in Dean’s Impala parked not too far away. While they were gone, Christina made her way to the altar and ran her fingers curiously over the bowls, bones, herbs, and other things there.

In short time Dean and Benny returned, and after some work all thirteen witches were bound and gagged to folding metal chairs brought down from outside of the house. Dean positioned their hands behind their heads and secured them with duct tape, wrapping it about their foreheads. The witches were lined up in a long row from one end of the basement to the other, with the end chairs curved along to the next adjoining walls.

While Dean and Benny worked at binding the witches to the chairs, Christina’s sight had begun to return. She set aside her bow. Then she cleared a space from one of the tables, and gathered ingredients out of one of her many small pouches. Soon she was engrossed in making a thick paste from clay, chalk and yew sawdust. When that was completed, she removed a small smooth stone from a pocket. Finally she brought forth an empty glass vial with a rubber stopper.

Once everything was ready, the three sat down and waited.

They had found the coven the usual way. Dean had dug through newspapers and researched strange events reported on various Internet sources. He worked the case, contacted a few hunters to see what they had heard, and it eventually lead he, Benny and Christina to a suburb in Oklahoma. The area had been left untouched by a recent tornado while surrounding communities had been decimated. Add in other strange happenings like a horrifying school fire and sixty-six cattle dropping dead in the area, and Dean knew they would find witches nearby. From there it was just a matter of piecing together clues and interviewing people, and he tracked the coven to this house where they met every week.

When the first of these witches began to come to consciousness, Christina stood quickly and went to them. She smeared the odd paste on their face, right between their eyes and along the parts of their foreheads that weren’t covered in duct tape. Once that was done, she pressed the small smooth stone against their lips, blocking their mouth.

Dean could see a rune carved into the stone and he frowned slightly, mostly with curiosity as he leaned around to get a better look.

Christina then bent close and began to whisper into the witch’s ear. At first the witch’s eyes had grow wide, shocked and frightened. As Christina continued, the witch had grimaced and soon they were bending forward, wincing with fat tears welling out of the corners of their eyes. By the time Christina was done and had stepped back, the witch was bawling, their body wracked with wet sobs.

She moved down the line, repeating her actions on each witch. First smearing them with the paste, then pressing the rune stone to their lips and finally whispering something to them. Each time it ended with them weeping loudly in great shuddering jags.

Benny followed with the glass vial and slowly filled it with the witches’ flowing tears.

Once done, Benny returned the vial to Christina. She packed away it and replaced the stone in her pocket.  
Through all this, Dean had remained back near the brazier, turning his gun over and over again in his hand. When it was clear Christina and Benny had what they needed, Dean strode forward and raised his gun, pointing it at the head of the closest witch. He removed the safety and began to squeeze the trigger.

“Don’t…” Christina placed one small hand on top of Dean’s gun and gently pressed down, asking that he lower it.

Dean glared hard at her, the corner of his mouth curling into a growl. “Why not?!”

Christina dropped her hand and looked at the witches, they were all bent over now, wailing in remorse and woe. “I called on Hecate to come and speak with them. She now reminds them that there are other levels of existence beyond this material plane. She shows them the faces of those they have killed; she let’s them hear the voices of the dead. From hence, they will be plagued with these until they are able to make proper recompense and cleanse their souls of their misdeeds.”

Benny blinked, “They wiped out a whole town…. So they’re hearin’ hundreds of dead folks in their heads…..? Thas’ a harsh thing to bear.”

“Dean’s bullet would spare them, relive them of their punishment.” Christina turned and made her way to the altar, then hefted up the grimoire.

“Ain’t that a bit of a rough judgment you passed on to them Angel?” Benny frowned, his displeasure showing. He obviously felt that this was too severe a punishment.

“I am not their judge Benny.” Christina retrieved her bow. “Hecate is.”

Dean smirked and put the safety on his gun. “Hecate is a goddess Benny. Those bitches can be fuckin’ mean.” His fingers still twitched a bit around the handle even as he lowered the firearm. “Was that what was on the stone? Some symbol of the goddess?”

Christina looked at the wailing witches. He face was somber, her dark eyes having returned now filled with sorrow. She turned away and began to climb the stairs to leave. “I will tell you outside.”

The three of them left and made their way to the Impala. Dean unlocked the car, opened the trunk and then tossed the roll of duct tape inside it. Leaving the trunk open he turned to Christina expectantly.

She removed the stone from her pocket and handed it to him. “It’s a Nordic rune. **[Eihaz](https://www.google.com/search?q=Eihaz&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8)**.”

Dean tucked his gun into the back of his jeans and then using both hands he thumbed the stone over in his fingers as he inspected it. It was a simple smooth river stone with just the one rune marked into it. “What does it mean?”

“Yew. As in the yew tree.” She drew her cloak around herself fully now, bow and grimoire disappearing beneath. “There was yew in the paste I used to mark them. The yew tree is sacred to Hecate. I just used it to ask her to come and see what these members of the craft were doing, how they had distorted the old ways, and how they were in league with demons.”

Benny was leaning casually alongside the Impala now, his hands deep in his pockets. “And that old book you got there Angel?”

She stood more defiant now, squaring her shoulders and turning a steely look to Dean, “I make to keep it and present it to my Lady.”

Dean raised one brow and solidified his stance as if meeting Christina’s challenge, yet the rune stone was still held loose in his fingers. “And what if I say I think you should leave that book with me?”

“It is a grimoire, ancient. Its sole purpose is to summon different demons and to gate them hastily from hell’s pits. Do you truly think it wise to place such an artifact into the hands of he who bears the Mark of Cain?!” Christina took one step back, shooting Benny a look that begged him to back her up, to understand.

But before Benny could do or say anything, Dean was chuckling darkly. “Look, just hand over the book so I can give it to my Sasquatch of a brother.” Dean extended one hand, wiggling his fingers in a ‘gimme’ motion. “You still need the sulfur of a demon, and if you think you can use the book to call one up on your own…. well Tinker Bell, I’ve got a news flash for you. All I gotta do is phone Crowley and he’ll lock all his little demons down tight. Your summons will go unanswered. So you know, just… c’mon…. hand the book over.”

Benny’s expression went pained and he slowly pushed away from the car, removing his hands from his pockets. He kept his eyes on Christina, and she just sighed in defeat in reply. Carefully she withdrew the grimoire and placed it into Dean’s hand.

“That’s a good girl.” Dean smirked. He waved the rune stone in the air, holding it lazily between two fingers, “You can have your little stone back though.”

“Keep it.” Christina bit out, “The yew is a protection from evil. You are going to need it.” She stalked away from Dean and over to Benny’s side, leaning against him and pointedly not looking at Dean at all.

Dean grinned and tossed the grimoire casually into the trunk of the Impala. Then he rubbed the rune stone a few times before he placed it in the breast pocket of his flannel shirt. He slammed the trunk closed and pulled out his keys.

“Next stop, tea with the King of Hell.”

 

 

**_(to be continued)_ **


	9. A King's Hounds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I rewrote this about six times. Sorry about the long delays between updates.
> 
> *I listen to a lot of Grimes' music when I work on this fic.

Feet slammed running along pavement, pounding out a heated cadence as they splashed through dark puddles and mud. The hammering heartbeat thundering underneath the sound of the running feet, pumping arms and legs, fabric shushing and rustling as they ran. All coming together in a chorus of urgent physical strain, even as one of them huffed out in controlled breaths as they fled.

Tall grim grey cement buildings leaned and careened past as they ran, slick wet with rain and dirtied with city grime. The two men swiftly coursed around corners, raced down alleyways, leapt over fence and wall, shoved garbage dumpsters behind their path to block what was chasing behind them.

And they could hear what was chasing them closing in. The ragged animal panting, the low growls, the sound of paws pattering on sidewalks as they gave chase. There was an unearthly chomp of slathering jaws as one came too close. That was followed by the baleful howl of another right after, calling out their position. Haling more to join in.

Dean ground out “Fucking hellhounds….” as he shoved his boot into the muzzle of one that came too close as he and Benny climbed up and over another chain linked fence.

“Almost like old times….” Benny chuckled as their feet landing on the other side before they took off running down the loading dock now stretched out before them.

A forklift caught Benny’s eye as it sat close to the building. He used it to climb up, pushing himself off of it to manage a half leap over onto the overhanging lip of a warehouse roof. He turned back and offered he hand to Dean, who took it as he followed Benny up.

The chain link fence back down behind them rattled as several somethings leapt over it.

“I could kill them all if you’d just let me….” Dean glowered.

“Let you use the First Blade?” Benny frowned, “I don’t think so. You think Sam was pissed before with you hanging out with me, a vampire…. I’d like to avoid seeing how furious he’d be if I let you use that thing.”

Dean balked as they paused at the edge of the roof a moment to weigh their options and take a look around at where they were. “How do you even know about this?” Dean absently rubbed his hand against his shirt where it covered the Mark.

“The First Blade and its link to the Mark of Cain?” Benny pulled his hat off a moment to shake some mud off before putting it back on. “Things talk in Purgatory. You know that Dean. And Cain’s story is one whispered about a lot. Demon knights and legendary blades, the first Murder…. Lots of things there trade those tales over and over about the Mark and the Blade.” He gestured to Dean’s arm, “Though I never thought I’d see a friend sporting either of them.”

Dean stilled and looked at Benny, meeting the burly man’s gentle eyes. “Am I still a friend Benny?”

Benny reached over and clasped hold of Dean’s shoulder, giving it a warm squeeze with his fingers. “I hope so.”

Something caught Dean’s eye, movement at the edges of the warehouse roof behind Benny. He stepped around Benny as he raised his gun, “Son of Bitch…. They found a way up here….”

“Least the Mark let’s you see those things.” Benny tugged on Dean’s sleeve and headed in a quick trot over to the edge of the roof where a service ladder’s top was visible. When he got to it he wasted no time in climbing quickly down.

Dean fired his 911, sending off a fast round that was answered by three different yelps of pain before he swung his bowlegs over the edge and slid down the ladder. When his feet hit the ground below, Benny was already squeezing through a door he had pried open with his fingers. Dean didn’t hesitate to follow.

Beyond the door was a large machine shop filled with band saws, industrial drills, and other heavy-duty machinery. Dean smirked as he began to walk briskly between the rows of machines.

“Wonder if I can Sarah Conner one of these bitches into a gooey pancake…” He gestured to a huge hydraulic press as they passed it.

“What I don’ get is why are we being chased by these things in the first place?” Benny raised a brow at Dean, “I mean, you said you an’ Crowley were friendly. Yet the first thing he does when we get to the meet up point is sic his pet’s on us.”

“Yea well, it wasn’t me that got him flustered.” Dean kept moving along the line of machines, “I think it was seeing your freaky fairy girlfriend.”

“They did seem to know each other huh?” Benny mused, not hiding the sarcasm.

“Y’think? She says ‘Hello there Weasel King’ and he says ‘Fuck off fae whore’ and then suddenly we’re running from the brimstone kennel club.” Dean waved his arms around slightly, his eyes wide with exasperation.

Benny stopped and stilled Dean with a touch to his shoulder. They both listened carefully. The whole place was silent.

“Tha’ sound right to you brutha?” Benny looked around slowly.

Dean nodded his head negatively, then nudged his head towards a metal stair way that was about fifteen feet from where they stood. It lead up to a catwalk that ran maze like over the machines, probably for foremen or other workers to move about with ease. Benny gave a half nod and both men slipped as quickly and quietly as possible over to the stairs. With great care Dean began his assent, placing his boots on the metal so as not to make a sound. Benny followed like wise and soon they were standing on one of the metal catwalks looking down over all the machinery below.

Benny looked back to the door they had used to enter, and it was still as they had left it, partially pried open. “See anything?” He whispered.

Dean shook his head no, and kept looking around. "The hounds didn't follow us in here." He murmured as he continued to lean over the rail of the walkway, looking down for signs of the hounds. Everything was hushed and calm. Dean slowly turned around once more.

Both of them jumped, and Dean nearly fired off his gun when they found Crowley suddenly standing near them on the catwalk.

“Jesus Crowley! What the fuck?!” Dean swore some more and gripped hold of the rail that ran on both sides of the walkway.

“Exactly! What were you thinking bringing one of the bleeding SUMMER COURT members into close proximity to me Dean?!” Crowley snarled.

“What?!” Dean made a face of distaste, “How was I supposed to know you would flip your lid being around a fairy?!”

Crowley took in a long slow deep breath before he said, “Not just a fucking faerie Dean, a Fae Knight Champion! And considering what my MOTHER is, where do you think she learned most of what she knows?!”

“I don’t know! From demons like other witches!” Dean spat back.

Crowley looked at Dean like he was the stupidest slowest moron in the entire of creation. He slowly ground his jaw tighter and tighter before coming to some conclusion in his head. In very measured words he said, “Not all witches gain their knowledge and skills from the damned. Some make alliances with the Fae.” Crowley paused, “And in my own interests..... at one time I may have sought an audience with Tatiana when I was trying to acquisition Purgatory….”

“Acquisition?! Is that what you’re callin’ it now?” Dean barked and almost laughed, “You gotta be kidding me.”

Benny stepped up then, his pale blue eyes sharp as ice. “What did you do with Christina?”

“The Fae Knight?! I ordered my hounds to attack her and I fled!” Crowley pulled his hands from his sides and waved them around, as if the answer was obvious. “She could have grievously harmed me with those bloody arrows of hers! And she has that mystical sword and…”

Dean looked over at Benny with a sense of general inquiry, “Mystical sword?”

Benny shook his head, “I’ve seen her use the bow, but never saw no sword.”

“My point is, she’s one of the most dangerous beings on the planet and I wasn’t about to sit around and have tea with her!” Crowley fumed, “She killed Juliet for fucks sake!”

Dean raised one brow, “When was this?”

Benny gave a rueful smile. “She stayed back and covered our escape, didn’t she?”

Crowley looked away and straightened his overcoat but said nothing.

“So she killed one of your hounds saving us, after YOU ordered the attack…..and then you just ran off.” Dean licked his lip and nodded, as if everything now made sense to him.

“Why did you want to see me anyway?!” Crowley grumbled.

“Funny you should ask.” Dean began to smile gleefully. “I had arranged the meeting so you could help the Summer Court Knight with a favor for her Lady Tatiana.”

Crowley flinched.

Then he swallowed heavily. “A favor….”

“Yea and I’m sure it would have put you in the good graces of said fairy queen, but now….” Dean smirked and spread his hands wide, his whole body mocking Crowley, “Now…. well you openly attacked an emissary….” Dean looked smug as he looked over at Benny, “You think the Summer Court would declare that an act of war? Because the last thing I’d want is a bunch of pissed off fairies looking to pull out the nukes on my ass...."

Crowley shook his head slowly and ground his teeth. “What was the favor?!”

“Jus’ needed a small flask full of demon sulfur. Thas’ all.” Benny said softly.

Crowley sighed, sounding defeated. He held out one palm and waited. Benny pulled an empty glass flask with a cork stopper from a pocket in his coat and placed it into Crowley’s outstretched hand. Crowley brought it close and slipped it into one pocket, and then a moment later slipped it out of his other pocket, full of the yellow sulfur powder. He handed it back to Benny. Benny took it, looked it over and then placed it back inside his coat pocket, giving Crowley a barely made nod.

And then just as abruptly as he had appeared, Crowley was gone.

Dean shoved his gun into the back of his jean’s waistband, “Want to see if she’s still back at the original meet up spot?”

Benny didn’t hide his concern. “Best place as any I guess.”

Dean paused before heading for the stairs down, “She killed Juliet. That’s no small pooch. One of Crowley’s biggest hounds. If she can take something like down.....” Dean met Benny’s eyes again, “I’m sure she’s okay.”

Benny nodded but his gut was twisted tight. Christina had proved not only a competent fighter in the past, and he knew she was deadly and could hold her own. What he didn’t know was how her dragon heart would work here in the regular world, if at all, and he didn’t know how many hounds there had been. And so he worried some but he hoped Dean was right.

 

 

~

 

 

The original meeting spot had been the center of a small city park, its trees and grass dark and sopping with rain. As they approached, Benny and Dean made their way with light quick steps, Dean constantly keeping his eyes open for any hounds that might be around. Thus far on their way back they had encountered none.

Until Dean pulled up short with a nauseous face: He stepped sideways as if avoiding treading in something disgusting. “Oh whoa… think I found what’s left of Juliet….”

Benny stopped and looked around. They were in the park, near the center where the trees were thickest. “Angel?” He called up softly just as he had back in Purgatory when she had slaughtered so many monsters and had hid afterwards up in the trees. “Angel?” he called again.

Dean looked at Benny oddly, a strange confused look on his face, “Benny?”

Benny was climbing up into a tree now. Dean could hear Benny talking softly before being answered in gentle tones by Christina’s voice coming from higher up inside the tree. A moment later Christina was sinking down into Benny’s arms, both of them with their feet on the wet ground now. They held each other with a close an adoring fierceness that made Dean look away.

Dean gave them a moment and then glanced back once only to find them kissing deeply, arms wrapped about each other, relief flooding from them. Dean watched them a bit longer before turning away again and wandering a few paces off to where he could see the rain clouds holding grey and soft over head through the trees.

“Angel huh?” Dean said to himself and shook his head. He closed his eyes and tried not to let his thoughts stray off to his own angel, who was fading out now like a slowly setting sun as his borrowed grace withered. He nodded though. Benny had found Christina, and chances were that Benny at least would get a happy ending when all their tales were done. 

 

 

(to be continued)


	10. Doorways

 

Christina pulled a waxy piece of chalk from one of her many little pouches with one hand while she smoothed her bare fingers over the surface of the mirror. She closed her eyes and let herself feel the thrum of the dragon heart within her, tugging on it’s energy ever so slightly so she could feel what vibrated just beneath the mirrors surface. Her fingertips grazed the cool glass, reaching up over her head as far as her arm would go. And there, like a ripple of faint echoing energy she felt the edge of the door waiting just beyond this reality. Keeping her eyes shut tight, she skimmed her fingers around in a large circle, mapping out the doorways edge. Once she had found it, she began to mark that edge with the chalk.

Behind her, leaning on one of the clothing racks in the closed department store they were in, Dean was watching with mild curiosity. Beside him, Benny fiddled with his hat in his hands, turning it in a circle. Dean glanced down, saw how Benny’s hands came to grip at the brim occasionally. Dean cleared his throat and nudged Benny with the back of his hand. When Benny looked up, Dean nodded his head away and the two of them drew back deeper into the dark store away from Christina.

“You okay?” Dean’s face hinted a bit with concern. “You can stay here you know. You don’t have to go back now that you’re out.”

Benny looked up a bit at Dean, his brows raised. “You know I didn’t do too well out in the World Dean. Purgatory is simple, it makes sense. And now….” Benny looked back over to Christina who was still working on opening the door. “I’m not alone anymore Dean.”

“Then what is it?” Dean let his hands fall loose at his sides.

Benny turned back and met Dean’s gaze full on and didn’t hide the worry in his eyes, “I’m worried about you Dean. About the Mark….”

Dean scoffed and half smiled, “Oh man, don’t. It’s gonna be okay. I’ve got Sam and Cas and we’ll work it out.”

Benny didn’t move, didn’t break his eye contact and the worry in his eyes didn’t abate either.

Dean sighed. “Look…. It’s been… hard. Yea. And there were moments….” Dean paused and looked down at his hands as he brought them forefront. His voice went softer as he spoke, “Not gonna lie Benny…. may be that I bit off more than I can chew this time.” Dean let his hands sag back to his sides. “But as I said, I’ve got my brother and I’ve got Cas… and they pulled me back from the edge once already.” His eyes clouded up with moisture and Dean pulled in a sharp breath, “Please don’t worry about me brother. We’re gonna get through this. I’m… I’m gonna get through this.”

Benny’s eyes mellowed and he nodded. “Okay. Okay.” He reached out then and pulled Dean into a crushing hug. “If you need me, you know where to find me.”

Dean squeezed back just a tightly, nodding in the affirmative. His hands clutched and gripped on Benny’s coat briefly before he let go and stepped back. “You too.”

Benny nodded and then placed his hat back on his head. He gave Dean a playful rough nudge as a smile crept out, a far cry warmer and more hopeful than the smile he had traded with Dean at their last parting. They both turned in unison and walked back to where Christina was waiting for them.

The mirror was rippling now, as if its surface was made of liquefied metal.

She stepped closer to Dean and extended her hand in friendship, “Farewell Dean Winchester, may your foes fall like dead leaves before you and may all your sunrises be fill with joy and glory.”

Dean reached out to shake her hand, only she moved her hand up, slipping it along his forearm so that her palm came to grip around where the Mark of Cain sat. She gripped him firm and he reciprocated, holding him there another moment.

“When Knights of the Courts take their leave of each other, this is the hand shake we give. Truly you are a worthy knight Dean, and you will win against all darkness as long as you keep carrying that love in your heart.” Christina smiled up at Dean then, her dark eyes shining.

Dean looked at her and let his left hand come up to gently stroke her hair near her face. The fondness in his eyes held Christina still and silent. Dean smiled gently then, “Sorry… you remind me a lot of someone I used to know.”

“She meant a lot to you?” Christina glanced at Benny briefly before looking back to Dean.

“Yea…. Her name was Jo… Jo Harvelle. She….” Dean gestured to Christina’s hair and eyes. “She looked a lot like you. Tough as nails too. She was a good hunter.”

“Then I am honored.” Christina released her hold on Dean’s arm and bowed then, low and somber. When she straightened she said, “I’ll carve her name on the stone of fallen warriors near Awnsidhe.” She turned to Benny then, “Ready?”

Benny gave her a warm smile and nodded, then they both stepped up to the mirror. He clasped hold of her arm much like she and Dean had just done. Then Benny threw Dean a bright smile.

The two fell sideways into the mirror like they were falling into a pool. There was a soft warbling sound… and then they were gone.  
A moment later the mirror stiffened and when Dean reached out to graze its surface with his fingers, it was solid once more.

 

~

 

Benny blinked and gulped in air, and felt the wind whipping around them in harsh gusts and yet…. No… they were falling! Clouds whisking past, the air buffeting them as they spun. Benny tightened his hold on Christina arm and then realized she was limp, unconscious. With a jerk he hauled her close and wrapped his arms around her, her cloak flapping wildly around them. Every now and then he could feel the barbs at the tip ends of her cloak slash at his calves and shin cutting both fabric and flesh.

“ANGEL!” Benny croaked out, the rushing air stealing his voice away, “CHRISTINA!”

He looked about frantically but all he could see was fog and cloud all around them.

Near panicked, he shook Christina hard in his arms. Something had gone terribly wrong. At this speed and at this rate of fall, Benny knew when they hit the ground they would be broken beyond all hope.

He clutched her tightly to him and shut his eyes. “Oh Angel….” Her murmured and braced himself for what was to come.

If not for the howling wind racing against them as they fell, and if not for their impending deaths, Benny mused that this would be peaceful. Falling, soaring down through the air. He wondered then that even if Christina could extend her wings, surely they were falling too fast for her to use them to save them both. But if it were just her alone?

“If I could only wake you Angel, you could save yourself…” Benny kissed her forehead tenderly.

Suddenly Christina stiffened, jerking awake wide-eyed, gripping back tight to Benny, her eyes snapping wide open. “Benny!” She looked around, assessing their situation quickly before she dug her fingers tight into Benny’s coat. “HOLD FAST TO ME!”

Benny shook his head and let his fingers loosen, “Save yourself Angel….”

“No Benny…NO!” Her hold on him increased as her arms tensed and one leg came round to hook under one of his thighs. “BENNY… HOLD YOUR BREATH!”

Benny saw Christina gulp in a huge intake of air and instinctively he did as well, even though he had no use for his lungs.

And then they were abruptly plunged into deep water.

The force of it tore Benny from Christina’s hold and they slipped apart in the roiling cold waters. Benny took a moment and let the shock of being thrown from air to water so suddenly blast through him. When he finally came to his senses he realized Christina had hooked her hand on his coat shoulder and was dragging him up to the surface. He swam then, grasping her hand into his and then they both struggled to breach the water.

When they crested up they found themselves floating in some strange dark sea. Its salty waters a deep near black hue. In the distance, a grey hazy shoreline yawned in a long pale line.

They both saw it and began to swim for the shore. The tide was with them and soon they were dragging their soaked and slogging bodies up to collapse into the ashy sand.

Benny laid back with a groan, he whole body aching from the ordeal.

Christina pushed one of the wine flasks of blood into his hands before she allowed herself to flop alongside him.

They laid like that for a long time.

Benny broke the silence by taking a long swig from the blood flask. When he was done, his voice came out ragged. “What happened there Angel?”

Christina’s voice at first came out even, steady. “The portal…. The door… if was fine on the other side. Anchored properly. We came through and… we should have been….” Her grew higher, “We should have stepped out onto that plain…. Where we had left from. I was expecting Leviathan…not….”

Benny leaned up on one elbow to look at her. “Not what?”

There were tears cresting in her eyes. “Benny something has happened. Purgatory has….” She took in a breath to try to calm herself, “It has shifted.” And saying that made her look as if she was on the verge of a panic attack.

Benny reached out, pulled her close and held her gently, wrapping his arms about her and cradling her close to his chest. He didn’t understand what she meant, or why this was something awful. “I don’t understand… you’re gonna hafta explain it to me…”

She took a moment, just nuzzled close to him, settling her breathing and her pulse. When she felt steady, she pulled away enough to sit up and he joined her. She dipped her finger into the sand and drew a cube shape.

“The Realms are like bubbles… you know how when you have more than one bubble and they cluster together?” She looked up into his eyes and he nodded that he understood. She brought her attention back to the drawing of the cube and gestured to the corners and the sides. “Unlike bubbles, the Realms don’t slip about, or slide out of place. They are fixed…. Where one Realm touches another it always touches there, from the moment of creation until the day the Realm is completely obliterated, these places Remain.”

She drew other cubes alongside the first one, “Some Realms or worlds or places…. Like Purgatory or The Fae or Heaven or Hell…some reside next to each other and some do not. Purgatory, the World and the Fae all touch. The World and Heaven touch, and so on. Using proper doors and passages you can move from one to the other. When Ca….when Dean’s angel….used that spell he cracked the bubble that is Purgatory. He made a new door that wasn’t supposed to be there. That crack created other fissures… like the back door to Hell. But these fissures… and the original crack…..”

“I know, you’re gatherin’ all the stuff so your Lady can fix all the damage and make it right.” Benny said trying to sooth and reassure her.

Instead more tears came back to crest at the corners of her eyes, “But she can’t… not if Purgatory is shifting out of alignment with the other Realms. The stress has been too much. That’s why we fell from a different place. The doorways aren’t lining up right anymore.”

Christina stood suddenly and brought her hands up to rake into her hair. “Don’t you see Benny? I took too long! I’m too late! The damage….” She turned around to him and her face was devastated. “Purgatory is breaking apart!”

 

~

 

It had taken Benny several moments talking softly to Christina to calm her down. They had gathered themselves up and had walked down the shoreline, finding once again the thick grey endless forests. As they walked they had been silent for the most part, but occasionally Benny had asked questions and through them had made Christina see that perhaps not all was lost. That they should make their way back to the Summer Court and find out for certain. They had acquired all but one of the ingredients for Tatiana's spell and Benny was heartened to know that the last item could be purchased at one of the great market places in the Fae lands. So he dwelled on that, asking Christina questions about the Fae lands trying to pull her mind into a less dire state.

He was so focused on Christina as he walked, that he did not notice just how quiet and empty the forests of Purgatory were now.

 

 

 

**(to be continued)**


	11. Green

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The spell words are a bastardized poorly translated version of William Butler Yeats's "The Hosting Of The Sidhe". I apologize profusely to Yeats fans, and to the Irish for butchering their language. The real poem in it's pristine and true state is at the end of this chapter.

Green.

Lush soft grass, old and tall strong trees with boughs bent low and heavy with rich emerald leaves. Rolling meadow dotted with fragrant flowers, mossy forest floors thick with green lichen. In contrast to Purgatory, the Summer Fae lands were so vibrant and alive that Benny had to close his eyes for a few moments to try to adjust. The greens were even more verdant than he had ever seen in the World, vampire or no.

To get from Purgatory to the Fae lands, Christina hadn’t trusted the doors and passages. So instead they had to rely on what Christina referred to as Honoring The Old Ways. Which meant casting a spell that would take them from Purgatory and back into Tatiana’s domain.

Unlike just opening a door and making use of an already existing means of travel, this meant they had to use components, focus their energies and gate themselves in a manner that would require a kind of sacrifice or payment. Christina explained that this is what Dean’s angel had done, but that he had been sloppy, opened it twice, and never fully sealed it when he was done. She said that the faeries also believed he never made his sacrifice, gave up the payment needed to complete the balance once the spell was cast.

So they had gathered the needed components; moss from the bogs, water from the spring from the cave they had stayed in, and the glowing lichen from there as well. Christina had cut both their hands, bleeding into the small hollow she had dug into the ground and then poured the other components in as well. She had mashed it all together into a muddied paste and then coated their boots in the muck.

Then they had clasped hands, wound over wound, and began to walk backwards in a spiral circle out and away from the small hollow in the ground. As they walked, Christina chanted softly.

“Folamh do chroí ar a aisling marfach .  
Na gaotha dúisigh , whirl na duilleoga bhabhta ,  
Is iad ár ghrua pale , is é ár gruaige scaoilte ,  
Ár chíche heaving atá , is iad ár súile a- gleam ,  
Ár airm ag tonn , is iad ár liopaí óna chéile ;  
Agus más ann radharc ar ár banna eitilt,  
Teacht againn idir é féin agus an gníomhas a láimhe ,  
Teacht againn idir é féin agus an dóchas a chroí .  
Tá an ósta eitilt ' twixt oíche agus lá.”

And as they went, the area around them seemed to soften, like a painting that had been blurred by brush or liquid. Slowly the colors around them mutated, brightened. By the time she was done with her sing song words, they were completely out of Purgatory and instead standing among a field of wildflowers.

Christina had dropped Benny’s hand and walked over to where she had dug the small hollow in the ground. There, in the field, sat the hollow, still full of the muddied paste that she had made from the components. As she hovered over it, she had cut off a lock of her hair and dropped it in. The hair was her payment she had explained.

Benny had frowned, not sure what his payment should be. He had no hair to cut free, so instead he pulled his obsidian blade out and shaved off his beard. He then added that to the pile.

Christina had set fire to it all and then they stood there hand in hand as it burned down into ash.

The ash was buried and then they walked on.

 

~

 

Benny and Christina hiked through the rest of the day and then she took her sleep after the sun set. They had nestled down against the roots of a great Yew tree to rest and while Christina slept cradled against Benny’s side, he let his eyes roam through the star filled skies. The darkness was like deep navy velvet and the stars themselves like sparkling diamonds. He had never seen a more captivating evening. Even the fireflies that glittered and danced about on the soft breeze glimmered with enchantment. It was all so beautiful.

That beauty was short lived.

The first village they came to was burnt to the ground, barely leaving a building standing. The ash was old and Christina guessed that what ever had laid the place to waste had done it several days ago.

“Uh, Angel?” Benny asked as he ran his fingers along one wide burnt swath, “You said there are dragons here?” He looked up at her from where he was crouched and raised one brow.

“Yes...... Though look….” She grimaced and pointed to the nearby fields where the sheep had been set ablaze as well. “No dragon would leave behind a food source.” She stepped carefully around the charred husk of a wagon, “Perhaps goblins.”

Benny stood, both brows shooting high on his forehead now. “Goblins?”

“Nasty things.” She shook her head and then strode away from the village.

They followed a road now, but shadowed it, walking just beyond using the trees as cover. Benny remarked that he could scent no animals in the forest and they had heard no birdsong. When they both realized there were no insects as well, Christina’s currently pervasive frown deepened. They came upon a creek and then flowers and mushrooms with no sign of gnome or sprite and the worry in Christina grew. By the time the peaks of the Summer Court castle were in view over the trees Christina was nearing panic.

They reached the end of a glade, the moat to the castle just beyond it with the castle itself… majestic and shining… towering over them. Christina came to a halt.

“We should be hearing music. The air should be filled with song and we should be swatting pixies away from our ears.” She pulled her fretful gaze from the castle before them and turned to Benny. Without saying anything she removed her quiver and tugged off her cloak and let it fall to the ground. Then she bared her throat and as she skimmed her fingers along it, she set pleading eyes in Benny’s direction.

“Feed.”

Startled, Benny took a step back and frowned. “What… why? You’ve kept me sated with the blood from the wine flask.”

“This isn’t about the need to quell hunger Benny.” She took in a deep breath and her eyes darkened. “I dread that something foul has come to my Lady’s castle. We may need to fight to free her and my people. Or they may have met ruin and we will need to fight to keep our lives. Either way… when we set foot into the castle, we will most likely be walking to our doom.”

Benny hesitated. “We don’ know for sure…. Christina… please…. What if this is just a side affect of the shift in Purgatory? What if everythin’ is okay inside?”

“Benny….” She pleaded openly now. “We were able to walk through from Purgatory to here with no issue. If the Fae lands were affected, the spell to travel would not have worked. Please… the best defense is a good offense…. Is it not?” When he still hesitated her dark eyes shifted and she undid her waistcoat. She tossed it aside with her cloak and then removed her belt and all her pouches. The sunlight danced dreamily through her hair as she began to remove her blouse.

Benny stepped forward then, placing his hands on hers. “Angel what… what are you doing?” He could feel her pulse picking up with his touch.

Warm eyes met his, and then she reached up on tip toe to graze her lips against his jaw. “Trying to compel you to do as I ask….” Her voice came honeyed sweet as she pulled her hands from his and wrapped them around his neck, drawing him closer. She brought her lips to his and they fell into a tender kiss.

The kiss grew, deepened, catching fire as she pressed his coat away from his shoulders and off. Then her hands were sliding his suspenders down as his hands tangled into her hair, the feel of her thrilled heartbeats intoxicating him.

Soon they were free of their clothing and sinking to the ground, surrounded by feathery grass and sunny flowers. Their bodies came together, hands exploring unhindered. They sighed their pleasure into each other’s mouths and as their bodies peaked in their passion, they trembled joyful in each other’s arms.

And as they relaxed into the warmth of each other under the afternoon sun, Christina guided Benny’s mouth to her throat. He pierced her with his fangs and languidly drank until he could feel their hearts merge, their pulses become one.

The dragon in her sang once more in his veins.

 

~

 

The castle was as dark and somber inside as it had been gleaming and glorious outside.

Night had fallen, and Christina took Benny through a back entry, a secret passage that few in the Court knew existed. It twisted and turned, running somewhat along the inner rim of the Castle walls but then bent to meet a small stair that ran up through a tower. Then it went down once more. When it ended in a simple door, that door opened into one of the pantries just off the great kitchen. As they crept out into that kitchen, the hearths were cold and empty. The kitchen itself dreary, dark and cold.

“There should be servants here. Humans….and gnomes.” Christina gestured around and by the look of things, those that had been here previously had left in a hurry. She pointed out signs of a few struggles, broken pots, a smashed basket of apples.

They continued on, and everywhere they went within the massive castle, it was dark and empty.

Finally they came before the immense doors to the Great Hall where the throne of the Lady remained. Christina paused before she pushed them open. The wood was scored with large claw marks and grazed by fire. She and Benny pressed their ears against the huge doors and listened.

Beyond them something massive breathed deep and slow, and a fearful large heartbeat accompanied it.

“Dragon.” Christina mouthed without making a sound and Benny’s eyes went wide. She covered his hand with hers and gave it a squeeze before reaching up to place a sweet kiss to his lips. “Do you love me Benjamin Lafitte?” she whispered.

Benny blinked and felt his throat tighten. His whole being was aflame now as her dragon charged faerie blood soared through his body. He knew he cared for her, knew he never wanted to leave her side. But was this truly love? Love had never treated him kindly in the past.

But he and Christina had walked for leagues together, fought creatures and monsters together. They had traveled through Purgatory and Earth and now the Fae lands. They had talked and laughed and fallen into each other’s arms over and over. But was this really love?

When he didn’t answer she tilted her head and then scrutinized his face closely. “How did you wake me, when we were falling, before we landed in the water when we returned to Purgatory?” Her voice remained a bare hush.

“I…” Benny blinked again. He had kissed her. Not a kiss to the lips but a kiss all the same. “I kissed you?”

“And you woke me with that kiss.”

“But, I couldn't have.” His mouth felt dry.

She held still and waited.

“But tha’s not… 'Love's True Kiss'.... that’s faerie tale stuff Angel…. waking someone with a kiss.” Benny felt his heart surge in his chest. Had he done it? Was it… real?

She grinned then, and reached around to squeeze his butt heartily, playfully. Then she gave him a quick peck to his lips. “Come Squire, the dragon awaits it’s slaying and I do indeed love you. Nothing can defeat us now.”

The saucy squeeze on his ass startled Benny out of his breathless pondering. It also left a wide smile sitting brilliantly on his lips.

Christina swung wide the gigantic wooden doors with an easy push and they both stepped boldly into the Great Hall.

When they looked on what waited for them inside, the smile on Benny's lips died.

 

 

 

**(to be continued)**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Hosting Of The Sidhe by William Butler Yeats
> 
> The host is riding from Knocknarea  
> And over the grave of Clooth-na-bare;  
> Caolte tossing his burning hair  
> And Niamh calling Away, come away:  
> Empty your heart of its mortal dream.  
> The winds awaken, the leaves whirl round,  
> Our cheeks are pale, our hair is unbound,  
> Our breasts are heaving, our eyes are a-gleam,  
> Our arms are waving, our lips are apart;  
> And if any gaze on our rushing band,  
> We come between him and the deed of his hand,  
> We come between him and the hope of his heart.  
> The host is rushing 'twixt night and day,  
> And where is there hope or deed as fair?  
> Caolte tossing his burning hair,  
> And Niamh calling Away, come away.


	12. The Mother of All

There wasn’t just one dragon.

There were four. All in the very center of the huge room.

They were currently in the human form, and they were dressed in heavy dark clothing much like modern military assault gear. Their garb was all black and thick, gleaming of Kevlar. But their faces were dazed and unseeing, as if they were deep in a trance. In the center of their foreheads were ugly black splotches, like gross thumb prints.

They were currently standing ridged as soldiers at attention around the thing that was thrumming like a giant heart. The thing Benny and Christina could hear through the thick wood doors into the Great Hall.

It was a large sphere whose surface was smooth and shiny as glass or polished metal, but within it writhed and seethed thousands of Leviathan. They squirmed all oily and black, twisting in and around each other. The sphere rested on a low metallic base that sat flush with the ground, and the four dragons were posted around it facing outward, at even spaces. 

The Hall itself had been graceful with lithe columns that spiraled up like solidified white smoke to a ceiling that was cris-crossed with vines. The floor was polished alabaster and the walls carved with intricate and lovely reliefs of forests, flowers and all manner of gentle animals. To one side wide archways opened out to a vast enclosed courtyard. Opposite that was a slightly raised platform framed with rose trellis. And beyond the large sphere and the dragons sat the lofty dais where elegant white thrones stretched tall and etheral up into the air.

Benny had a feeling that on any other day, this hall would shimmer. The white walls and thrones would gleam pristine and lovely. The vines and trellis would be thick and heavy with green foliage, bright with soft roses.

But now it was all dim, dingy and dirty.

Tapestries and pennants that had floated down from the ceiling were lying in shredded piles haphazardly around the floor. Outside the vast courtyard was charred and burnt down into ash, scored and scoured by flame. Everything was marred or ruined.

Movement on the raised platform beneath the dead trellis caught Benny’s eye and he watched in mounting horror as what he had taken for a lumped shredded banner lying on its surface began to move. It rose up slightly, and turned weakly as it trembled from the effort. Beside him Christina let out a mournful gasp.

“My Lady!” Christina started to move towards the platform but Benny caught her arm gently.

As they watched, the Lady of the Summer Court drew up enough so she was resting on one hip, her arms bracing herself up. Thick chains that looked as if they were composed of both iron and silver shackled her down to the platform. The skin around them scorched dark and painful. Her hair was hanging in woeful disarray and her skin was sallow. A discolored bruise covered her cheekbone. And then to both Christina and Benny’s horror, she opened her eyes to find they had been burned from their sockets. The Lady of the Summer Court was blind.

“Child…” Titania spoke, and her lips were caked with dried blood. “Come no closer….” She pulled in a dull breath and whispered, “We are not alone.”

Instantly Christina’s eyes flashed to the dragons and her hand moved to her dagger in fury and defiance. But Benny squeezed his grip tighter on her arm and held very very still.

Deep within him, he could feel an old familiar pull. He could hear a whispering voice crooning to him in the back of his mind. It comforted him and made his skin crawl in equal measure. It had been a long while since he had heard this voice in his head, felt this presence reaching out to his being. He swallowed hard as his widening eyes slowly made their way to watch a figure carefully step around one of the columns that framed the way out into the charred courtyard.

The form was that of a young teenaged girl, fit of limb with long auburn hair cascading around her shoulders. But instead of smooth fresh skin, her body was riddled in black veins. Still, he would know her anywhere.

She was the Mother of All.

Eve.

Benny braced himself, waiting to fight fully against anything she would compel him to do or say. And yet when she turned her cold eyes on him, he found that her voice remained just a whisper in the back of his head. His agency remained his own.

Benny drew tall and pulled his obsidian blade into his grasp from where it had been tied to his hip.

Seeing this, Eve chuckled and shook her head. As she came into the Great Hall, she clasped her hands behind her back and just smiled. “Well, well, well. Look what we have here.”

“….run children….” Titania choked out, pleaded, “…run!”

Eve lashed out one hand, pointing at the Summer Queen, “Hush. Or I’ll pull the rest of your throat out. Let’s be nice to our new guests.” Eve turned her eyes on Benny and Christina now, and her face pulled into a hideous grin.

“Who are you to command my Lady in her own Hall, to threaten her in the presence of one of her own Knights?!” Christina took a single step forward, placing herself into a protective stand between Titania and Eve.

“You lot?! Knights?!” Eve cackled, “You’ve got to be joking. You’re both abominations!” She sneered at Benny, “This one, a vampire with dragon tainted fae blood running through his veins? Please…. He’s a walking cliché.” She glared at Christina next, “And you, lost little girl infected by the fae, playing at being a hero with your stolen dragon heart…. You’re both misfits! You belong in neither the World, nor in Purgatory nor here in the Fae…”

“They belong here….” Titania sat fully up, lifting her chin proudly. “I welcome them humbly and with honour.”

“Oh very nice then. The Queen of moldy rags and her two polluted and impure bastards!” Eve spat. “Well you’re too late, brats. As you can see, I’ve conquered this Realm and Purgatory!”

Benny took in a quick deep breath and inhaled Eve’s scent. He tightened his grip on his weapon and steadied his stand. He leveled his pale blue eyes at Eve, “I get it now.”

“Oh do tell. I’m all ears. Excited even.” Eve snorted with sarcasm.

“You’re not the Mother of Monsters.” Benny stated, lifting his blade to gesture at Eve from toe to head. “You may wear her body… or least, the last body she had. But you ain’t Eve.”

Eve raised both brows. “How do you figure that?”

Benny grinned and tapped his head with his free hand. “My noggin. If you was really Eve, well…. I’ve had Mother up in my head before. Before she left to go topside and see about Crowley and that angel opening Purgatory.” Benny pulled off his hat, “I hear her voice now, but it’s faint, as if she’s callin’ to me from someplace that has her locked down. Also… “ Benny made a face, “You smell awful.”

“Hmph….. Astute.” Eve paused and regarded Benny a moment, “She is in fact, held inside here. It wasn’t hard. She and I… we go way back. We were much like each other except for one thing. Eve liked to create. She enjoyed making new monsters, loved nurturing them, breeding herself out like a whore.” Her voice was thick with disgust now. “And me?....” that voice grew rougher, hungry. “I only want to consume.”

Benny felt his gut tense up as his mind flashed with the tale of how Dean and Castiel had been dragged into Purgatory. How they had taken down the leader of the Leviathan with a special weapon and then Benny remembered why Dean had needed to slay the Leviathan. Because they had wanted to eat everything and everyone, “Leviathan, yea? Big boss man I’d guess….”

Benny kept going, “So you figured you’d pour yourself into Mom there, take over her territory and then come over here and invite yourself into the Fae lands huh?” Benny tossed his hat away, back towards the open doors to the Great Hall.

“Something like that.” The Leviathan, previously known to the Winchesters as Dick Roman and now inside Eve, just shrugged.

Benny glanced over at the dragons standing at attention. “So if you can’t get into my head, how’d you get these boys on your side? Last I checked they were pretty loyal to the Mother of All.”

The Leviathan inside Eve smirked, “Wasn’t easy let me tell you. They were some real go getters. But unlike you, they are purists. One hundred percent grade ‘A’ untainted monster. It was easy to control their minds and their hearts.” It nodded at both Benny and Christina, “If you both weren’t such a mish-mash…. If you were fully vampire… I’d be in your skull so fast you wouldn’t know what hit ya.”

“Yea well…. Tough luck for you then I say.” Benny smirked and tossed a quick sly grin at Christina.

Up until now, Christina had been moving between the Dick Roman wearing Eve, creeping closer to Titania on the platform. She had slipped off her cloak and removed her belt with all her pouches, leaving them next to where Titania sat. She had also removed her bow and her quiver filled with her arrows and placed them within the Queen’s reach as well. This left Christina standing unarmed save for her dagger still sheathed at her hip.

Unconcerned, the Leviathan inside Eve had continued rambling as she stroked her hands down her sides. “Gotta tell ya, when I was last inside a body, I was a Dick. Feels a little weird being inside good ol’ Mommy.”

Benny nodded and casually replied, “Dick Roman.”

Eve who was not Eve’s head snapped up. “How do you know that name?!”

Benny shrugged, mimicking the Leviathan, Dick Roman, inside Eve. “Take a guess.”

The Leviathan inside of Eve narrowed its eyes and gave Benny a long hard look. It took in a deep breath of air, scenting him and then scowled. “Winchesters!”

“Yep, those boys get around don’t they?” Benny continued to grin. He could feel Christina moving behind him, feel her heart rate picking up and with it he began to feel charged. Her blood inside him was beginning to thrum in time with hers.

Dick inside of Eve went on. “Knowing those buffoons or even that angel won’t do you any good now. I’ve got Purgatory…”

“Which is cracked and rending itself apart.” Christina cut in.

Dick within Eve made a casual gesture, but as it talked it’s voice rose in fury, “So it is. But I have the Fae lands now. Hell is next. Then back to the World where I will snack on those Winchester meat sacks like I should have done a long time ago!!”

“I believe you will find keeping the Fae lands and marching your way into Hell much more difficult than you anticipated.” Christina said calmly. She had flanked the ranting Leviathan, coming to stand a few steps away.

The Leviathan smirked again. “You think you will stop me little girl?” It turned to flourish out one hand towards the burnt courtyard beyond the Hall. “You see that ash? That is what is left of your precious Summer Court. All the lords and ladies you left behind, all the faeries, all the other Knights…. All OF THEM. BURNED TO ASH.”

Christina didn’t look. She didn’t move or even flinch. Her entire focus was held on the Leviathan. But Benny could feel her heartbeat stutter in her chest, could see how her dark eyes went hot with pain for the loss of the Court members. Her voice carried none of that however, and she broadcast her words in steadfastness as a noble knight would. “And you ate the human servants as well….”

“Yes I ate the humans too.” The Leviathan snarked.

“Uh, just out of curiosity, and since you don’t seem to think we’re much of a threat to ya… what’s with the big ol’ ball of wiggly black goo over here?” Benny was now stepping between two of the dragons so he could knock lightly against the large sphere holding the other Leviathan. It made a small hollow echo from the tap, but the echo within made the Leviathan inside twist hard.

“Gentle!” The Leviathan inside Eve reprimanded Benny, “It’s the reason I came here. Needed something to transport my brothers and sisters into the World since we don’t have a foolish angel just lying about waiting to escort us back inside his gluttonous tummy.”

“It is a Shealbhú Liathróid.” Christina said, though without taking her eyes off the Leviathan. “It belongs to my Lady. She uses them to convey summer skies and summer rains to the World. Or, she did once, long ago.”

“And now it’ll take my fellow Leviathan back there.” The Leviathan sounded annoyed now. “Are we quite done with our chitchat? I’m really hungry and I’d really enjoy snacking on both of you before we get on our way.”

“No I think that’s jus’ about it.” Benny stepped away from the sphere and looked at Christina. Their eyes met and he saw her nod ever so slightly as he felt her whole body begin to coil up tight. He then leveled a steely gaze at the Leviathan. “Unless Christina there has somethin’ else to say….”

“What is it?!” The Leviathan seethed.

Christina calmly rolled up her sleeves.

She tossed away her dagger, then she looked at the Leviathan waiting within the Mother of All.

In a measured voice she said, “First, I am going to drop each one of your dragons to the floor and render them unconscious. The first two I’m going to go easy on, and just knock them out swiftly with a quick power burst to overload their neurons.” She paused and looked at Benny, “You knew they had brain tissue much like ours right?”

Without waiting for a reply, Christina continued, “The next one I’m going to round house kick to the floor while I climb on the back of the other so I can squeeze his trachea, cutting off his airway to make him pass out. As he drops, I’ll swing around and with the gained momentum I’ll punch the last one in the chest with my feet. Knock the air out of him and he’ll go down. Before he can get up, I’ll land on his chest and employ the Cotton Palm punch to keep him down.”

Christina raised a casual hand to gesture to Benny. “While I do that, Benny is going to reach down to the base of the Liathróid and send all of those Leviathan back into Purgatory….” She paused to look at Benny, “Push the black gemstone if you would please.”

Then she returned her attention to the Leviathan inside Eve. “And finally I’m going to cut you out of Eve and burn you into ash in payment for the lives you took from the Summer Court. I’m going to roast you so thoroughly that nothing, not even the hand of God himself, will be able to bring you back.”

She delivered all this with such confident cool aplomb that it left the Leviathan taken aback.

“All that….. Unarmed?!” Its voice was shrill now.

It was Christina’s turn to look smug. “I’m never unarmed.”

In a blink Christina went from standing completely still to being in full motion. She launched herself up, her glittering gold and green dragonfly wings snapping saddening out from her back. She landed with a step on the top of the Liathróid holding the other Leviathan. The movement carried her over, and she came down between two of the dragons. Her hands shot out as she landed; bright light flickered from her palms as she took hold of them. The two dragons fell, slumping lax to the ground.

The Leviathan inside Eve roared and the sound was so ferocious it made the Great Hall tremble.

Benny was on one knee now, reaching out to the base of the large sphere. He could see several gems embedded into the base: red, white, green, blue, black, purple and orange. He scooted closer and just as his finger grazed the black gem, something grabbed hold of his ankle and yanked. Hard.

Benny found his body snapped backwards off his knee, sliding across the floor towards the platform where Titania was. When he came to a stop lying on his side, he looked down to see his leg smeared with black ichor. Eyes snapping up, he almost let out a shout of disbelief.

The Leviathan inside Eve was oozing black sludge. It was breaking through her skin to form tentacles, menacing and solid. One was snaking back to her after it had flung Benny away leaving a sticky trail of gunk behind.

“Not the kraken I expected ta fight some day but….” Benny shrugged and got to his feet.

“Ser Benjamin!” Titania called out before Benny rushed toward the Leviathan. “Break my bonds so I may be of help!” She offered her arms where she was bound with the heavy chains.

Benny nodded, slid over to her and hefted his blade high. He brought it down hard on the first shackle. It rang out loudly as his blade cleft it in half. Titania wiggled her arm free as Benny pulled back to swing to break the next one.

Movement out of the corner of his eye paused his arm and he saw two black slime coated tentacles lash out at him from Eve. He shifted twisting at his midsection, and brought the blade down to cleave one tentacle as it went for his chest. The other connected at his left thigh, stabbing in deep and making Benny cry out.

Christina was crouching over the last of the dragons, his limp form sprawled under her. Her head snapped up the second the tentacle pierced Benny. She stood and whirled to face the Leviathan.

“Come at me foul behemoth! And let loose thy havoc!” Christina’s hands were open and spread away from her body as her dark eyes narrowed.

The Leviathan within Eve grinned and it was repulsive with black muck seeping from between its teeth. It snapped back its tentacle, pulling it from Benny before having all of the remaining eleven currently protruding from Eve’s body flail up around itself. It turned to face Christina, then crouched and charged.

When Christina mimicked the Leviathan’s charge all the air around Benny felt as if it were sucked away. He could feel a forceful pull deep within himself, deeper than blood or bone as it twisted hot inside him. That pull was anchored in Christina somehow. Benny was about to cry out in protest, in dismay as Christina and the Leviathan crashed toward one another.

In the last moment before the two hit each other, something fearfully bright lanced out of Christina’s right palm.

It was a brilliant long sword, sturdy and shining, lethal in its edges and blinding with its light. It ejected from her hand to hover a half second before snapping into her grip as if it were part of her.

When she and the Leviathan slammed together, the sword was poised to lance through the Leviathan’s gut. It hit true and went deep.

The bellow of pain from the Leviathan cracked the thrones of the Great Hall with its force.

Benny stumbled a half step and then turned quickly to finish freeing Titania. He wasted no more time, not even waiting to watch the Lady cast off her chains. He limped as quickly as he could back to the Liathróid and dropped to his knees wincing with the pain. He slammed at the black gem with the side of his hand, not bothering to put down his blade, then he rolled back away from the large sphere.

Nearby, the Leviathan screamed again and again in frustration and pain. It raged in battle with Christina, dodging in and around, sometimes skating away from Christina’s sword, sometimes flinging out hits of its own with its foul appendages. It had sliced across her back and side, punctured deep into Christina’s shoulder.

But for every mark it left on Christina, she made three of her own on the Leviathan. She had sliced off all but three tentacles now, and they were moving so fast Benny could barely see where one ended and the other began. They shot high into the air, spring boarding off the walls, flying around the columns and skittering across the smooth floor.

He pulled himself to stand, leaning against one of the broken thrones, pressing his hand to his bleeding thigh. He was about to grit his teeth and stand fully when the sphere near him made a soft “whooooph” sound and then simply vanished.

Benny turned to shout out that it was gone when he saw the Leviathan sweep Christina’s legs out from under her. Christina went down with a hard thud, her head smacking with a bounce on the floor. When she fumbled, dazed, unable to get up instantly, the Leviathan preened.

Then it opened its jaws to gape wide, needle teeth extending fully. The Leviathan bent over to drool on Christina as it lowered to bite her in half.

Benny was moving before he was aware of it, ignoring his wounded leg. He ran, faster than he even believed he could run, flying across the Hall to launch himself at the Leviathan. His obsidian blade was held back over his shoulder and in one brutal swing down he connected its edge with the back of the Leviathan’s. He brought his body down hard, carrying that force through his shoulder and arm, down into the blade itself.

When Benny tumbled to a halt on the other side, he hit the floor covered in black glop. For one pristine moment there was complete silence in the Hall.

Then, the quick light sounds of several arrows hitting their target sang out in the air.

Christina’s arrows, fired from her bow by the hand of the Lady of the Summer Court.

The arrows pierced the Leviathan’s side shoving it backwards off of Christina onto the floor. When the body hit, the head snapped off from Benny’s cut, and it half bounced half rolled away even further.

Titania was standing now, and slowly stepping off the platform. Her movements were precise, elegant and regal but there was no doubt about the righteous anger that was flaming within her. Still holding fast to Christina’s bow, the Lady went immediately to Christina and offered a hand to assist her up. Once Christina was on her feet, Titania trailed gentle loving fingers across Christina’s head.

Instantly all Christina’s wounds were healed even though the Lady herself still had bruises and was missing her eyes.

Benny marveled at the Lady’s accuracy with the bow despite missing her sight.

Titania moved to Benny now and as he stood, she lightly caressed his shoulder with her fingers. Immediately all his pain vanished, his body felt renewed and vigorous. His wound closed up and smoothed away, not even leaving a scar.

The Lady nocked another arrow and in a flawless swivel brought it around to bear on the decapitated form of the Leviathan. “Draw it out, Child of mine.” She commanded to Christina, “Bring it out of the Mother and into My Realm so I may judge it…. as is my right.”

Christina nodded once, then flicked her wrist lightly. The sword she had conjured absorbed back into her hand, its light dimming and moving in a swirl around Christina’s arm. She took a steady step closer, then closed her eyes. She brought both hands to clasp over her heart and held them there.

“Lend your strength Ser Benjamin. Be not shy.” Titania flicked her eyes over at Benny, before returning them to the mangled body of Eve.

Benny hesitated a moment, unsure what was required of him. He carefully lowered his blade to the ground, then moved to stand behind Christina. Gently he lifted his hands and placed them on her shoulders.

“Tsk….” Titania scoffed, “Now is not the time for chivalrous decorum. Hold her!”

Benny tightened up in his gut with nerves before wrapping one arm fully around Christina’s shoulders, then the other below her arms and hands around her mid-section. He gripped her close, held her firm. It placed her head just under his chin, and his heart right flush against the spot between her shoulders, where her wings connected to her back. Those wings were pulled low now, trailing along the floor on either side of Benny.

The moment they were anchored, a jolt shot through Benny from head to toe. It sizzled his blood and made his bones vibrate. He felt Christina’s body do the same as once again their hearts were in complete sync with each other. But now they were drawing fully from the power of the dragon heart and it pumped and chugged inside them like a steam train gaining speed. It built and pulsed and went bigger, deeper. More.

Benny felt the growing energy pooling into Christina’s hands, spooling there in mass. The pounding inside them grew harder, pushed and shoved until it crested on painful. It rose and gained and hammered inside them to the point that Benny thought it was going to rend them apart. He held on tighter and tighter.

It flew out suddenly, singing away from them and into the body of Eve, spearing it. The energy hooked in, worked deep and latched onto something foul. The Leviathan. The tether of energy from Benny and Christina shoved in and seized hold on the Leviathan.

Christina carefully reached her hands out towards Eve’s body and then…

Pulled.

Benny held fast and Christina plucked, tugged and uprooted the Leviathan from within Eve. Bit by bit she extracted it out, leaving it sluggish puddle on the floor.

“Benny, release her now.” Titania rested a soft hand on Benny’s shoulder, and she helped ease him to let go.

His connection to Christina was still there, but now it was solid, stable. He stepped back next to the Lady as their attention went to the oily black blob making weak burps into the air. Christina went and knelt down beside the Leviathan as it trembled trying to reassert itself. Golden threads from her hands laced completely through it as it quivered.

“This is for the Summer Court…..” She dipped her hands down deep into the Leviathan and then in a soft voice said, “Sruthán.”

The form of the defeated Leviathan erupted in an explosion of flame, the fire consuming it in a flash of golden searing heat. It was as bright as the sun and Benny had to shield his eyes. It burned and burned, blazing down until it was barely even ash, leaving the stone floor below it glowing and molten.

Christina stood and dropped her hands to her sides. They were sooty but she was unscathed. She turned slowly to Benny, tears forming in her eyes as she wobbled on her legs.

She had barely taken a full step towards him before he caught her into his embrace. He clutched her close, and they entwined against each other as she sobbed out her grief. Benny stroked his big hands down her back, through her hair, comforting her.

Benny’s voice rumbled deep, soft as velvet and rich as wine. “It’s over Angel. You did it.”

“You both did it.” Titania was lowering Christina’s bow to the floor. Once she set it down, she covered her hands over her eyes. By the time she was standing fully once more, the burnt out hollows of her eyes were whole again. She opened them slowly and they shimmered like pearls.

Then Titania glided over to the body of Eve, and her severed head. She lifted the head reverently and brought it back to its body. She crouched low, but before she did anything else, she looked back to Christina and Benny. “I must knit the Mother of All back into being and this will take some time. There may be prisoners still in the dungeons, members of the Court that still live….”

Christina didn’t need to hear anymore. Her wings shunted out with a shiver and she took Benny’s hand tightly in hers, “We see to them my Lady.” She gave a quick tight bow to Titania, then pulled Benny from the room.  
They were out of the Great Hall and halfway down a corridor when Christina suddenly stopped. She whirled around, threw her arms about Benny’s neck and seared a deep powerful kiss to his lips. When she pulled back, her deep brown eyes were playful and dancing with love.

“What’s that for Angel?” Benny blushed, his cheeks growing rosy as his eyes lingered over her beaming face.

“Just….” She said softly, “Thank you.”

In that moment Benny knew he loved her, would always love her. But even more importantly, knew he wasn’t afraid of it any longer as well.

 

 

 

 

**_(to be continued)_ **


	13. Captain Lafitte

 

Benny took in a deep breath, drinking in the smell of the sea and its salty air making his face warm with a smile. The ocean had always made him feel so at ease, welcome, and at home. The day was bright and clear, with high fluttered clouds in the blue sky overhead. And before him, water stretched out wide and sparkling in the sunlight. He rocked himself lightly on the balls of his toes before he made a half turn to look on the large dock reaching away to his left.

He was learning that the Fae lands were vast, nearly as big as the World he had grown up in. There were seas and oceans, islands and land all filled with mythic people and creatures. The Summer Court oversaw its share, and some of it was comprised of ocean. To which the Lady had her own small armada of ships to traverse their watery expanses.

It was several of these ships he was overlooking now, docked at a colourful and bustling port city on the edge of a shining seashore. Some were of the ships were massive and bristling with lethal canons, their huge sails billowing off towering masts. Others were smaller almost delicate things with glittering sails, white decks and jingling silver bells lacing their decks.

Benny had been given the task of overseeing the Lady’s ships, from her merchant vessels to her war ships and the Faeries she had introduced him to work with on this task had been eager and fascinated to be around him.

So now here he stood, the sea air in his nose, a new cap and a new coat on, his shoes polished to look dapper. His wide grin on his face as he made his way along the dock idly looking over each vessel as he passed.

People, creatures, faeries, gnomes, knockers, goblins….and other things Benny had no name for yet, all greeted him with either a bow or a smiling wave. They addressed him as Ser Lafitte, or Captain. And some had even come to address him as Friend.

It was one of these, a stout dwarf named Bustletang, who approached him now with a hail and a big smile. Bustletang was Captain of his own ship, a smaller sized galleon that carried cargo and passengers from here to wherever. Bustletang had a generously full ginger coloured moustache and even brighter happy cheeks on his face. The moustache bounced as Bustletang walked, and Benny still had to stifle his mirth at seeing it.

“Well met, Benny! Some tell me there is a new ship headed here this day.” Bustletang fell in step with Benny as they walked across the smoothly worn wood of the docks.

“Yea, I got a letter from one of the Lady’s magistrates two days ago.” Benny nodded, still smiling, “Said it’d be in sometime after midday. Said it was some new fangled thing and I’m to be its Captain.”

“Ah so no more loitering about on the docks and inspecting ships for you then my friend. This is fine news indeed.” Bustletang waved one hand in the air, “But… have you word from your darling Knight as well?”

Benny smile soured a bit, and he kept his eyes on the ships floating in dock beside them, “You know she’s busy helpin’ to rebuild tha court, Bust.” His nickname for the dwarf rolled off his tongue in his easy Southern drawl. “I saw her last new moon, and she’ll come back down here soon as she can.”

“You miss her. Tis right that you should. I would miss my Marta had she not been my Bosun on my good ship.” Bustletang paused, “Perhaps when everything settles down….”

Benny nodded, and he turned away a moment. When they had vanquished the Leviathan, and sent the others packing back to Purgatory, Titania had wasted no time working to get Purgatory fixed and the Realms righted and aligned. The Lady had revived Eve and helped the Mother of All return to Purgatory, to see to her Realm and her children there.

But after that, Christina and her Lady had needed to put their efforts into rebuilding the Summer Court, repairing the damage to the castle, honoring their dead. Benny had done what he could to help, but it was clear as far as Royal matters went, Benny was rather useless. It was then that the Lady had sent him here to this city, this port and put him to work. He’d been thankful of it, to be useful, and he had flourished here. The sea and sailing was in his essence down deeper than his bones. He felt at ease and at home here in ways that he had never experienced before.

But he was also a league away from the Castle and the Court.

Christina came to visit as often as she was able, to stay with him in his small loft over one of the shops in the city. And they were cozy and happy while she was there.

But then she would be called away to the Castle after a week or so of her visit, and they would clutch each other and whisper their love into their parting kisses.

Each day that he would wake alone in his bed; he told himself that this wasn’t for always. That someday they would be able to stay together. But then he had received this accommodation for the Captaincy of the new ship, and while it thrilled him, he now worried that out at sea he would see Christina less and less.

“Ah, Ser. I did not mean to make you melancholy. Bring cheer back to your heart Benny, you and she have shared Love’s True Kiss. Here in the Fae lands, that means something.” Bustletang reached up and patted Benny’s arm roughly in an attempt at comfort. “Our Lady will not keep you apart for long.”

Benny sighed, unsure of that.

He was about to comment that it was the Lady herself who was constantly calling Christina back, when his thoughts were broken by shouts and excitement. People were running past them down the docks, smiling wide in wonder and laughing in delight as they went.

Benny and Bustletang followed noting that people were pointing and looking up to the sky as they made their way towards an empty berth at the docks. Benny followed their gazes and when he saw what they were looking at, all the air was taken from his lungs in astonishment.

A ship was approaching, its pale green sails full on its tall masts. Its wood looked as if it were polished and lacquered, and the outer hull was armored in plates of engraved metal. It was a Galleon ship, and its canons gleamed while its hoisted banner shone with the emblem of the Summer Court.

But most astonishing, was that it was flying.

Great swathes of gossamer fabric stretched over a framework of metal jointed spines extended out from each side of the ship’s hull like huge wings. They were seated just above the canons nearly level with the main deck. As it approached the docks, those wings drew in tightly against the hull, folding close. Yet the ship did not lose altitude or waiver as they pulled inwards.

The ship soared over head, skimming over the tops of the buildings that lined the docks, the floated over the tips the masts of the ships just beyond. It turned with grace and purpose to line itself with the dock and then it slowly lowered itself to come to rest in the water gracefully. A trumpet sounded a fanfare before it was secured to the dock and its gangway lowered.

The ship was magnificent.

Benny pressed forward through the crowd loosing his friend Bustletang somewhere in their midst. By the time he was near the gangway to the amazing ship, a full compliment of the Lady’s new honor guard was disembarking. They strode off the ship and onto the dock, making a smart and shimmering array as they took up position along the edge of the crowd.

Courtiers and lesser ladies of the court disembarked then, followed by a small band of brightly coloured minstrels. Pixies darted and flitted through the air off the ship, and it wasn’t long before Benny found one sitting cheekily on the brim of his cap.

The trumpets sounded again, and now the Lady and her new attendants were coming down the gangway. They were dressed in the same green hue as the sails, and all had bright flower buds woven into their hair. The Lady looked radiant, regal and fully healed from her ordeal.

But when Benny caught sight of the person behind them walking down to the docks, his heart began to race in his chest. They were wearing formal armor from shoulder to toe and it gleamed like pure gold. A tunic of pale green covered their torso, but behind them, great dragonfly wings glinted and flickered in the sun. When they tossed their long soft blonde hair over their shoulder Benny felt himself beam with joy.

“Angel….” He ignored the honor guard and the courtiers and the attendants and even the Lady herself as he pushed forward and half ran to meet Christina as she reached the dock, scooping her into his arms in a jubilant and boisterous hug. Despite all the heavy armor she was wearing. Benny did not care. She was here and she was smiling up at him with those incredible warm eyes of hers.

When they kissed the dock erupted with cheers and Benny saw flower petals raining light all around them out of the corner of his eye.

It was then he pulled back, self conscious and red of cheek. He looked apologetically to Titania but she merely smiled bright.

“Good Ser Lafitte, Captain now of this ship what will carry thee across sea and air…do not be shy for love.” Titania drew close, and cupped her hands against both his and Christina’s cheeks. “I have kept my dear Knight away from her heart’s desire for too long. And now, to repay both of you, I give you this ship….” Titania gestured to the vessel that had just docked, but then looked back at Benny and Christina, leveling her unearthly pearlescent eyes at them. “I also give you a new quest…..”

Titania then turned and looked out over the sea. “Purgatory is settled, but there remains one last spell to work to protect the Realms from dire things of that nature happening again. As such, you must quest again to bring me these….” She pulled a scroll from her sleeve and passed it to Benny.

He accepted it with a bow, “Thanks M’Lady.”

She gave him a warm smile, tweaked his nose slightly and said, “Fare thee well Captain Lafitte and do no be a stranger to my Castle.” and then the Queen and her court were moving down the docks, the music picking up as the crowd followed her.

Soon Christina and Benny were standing holding hands as a group of the remaining people and creatures moved closer to them, offering their congratulations and their well wishes. Bustletang among them.

“We’ll need a crew…” Benny surveyed the group, his eyes falling on his mustached frend.

“Aye, that you will good Captain Benny. And congrats to both of you. But I’ve got my ship and my crew….. you’ll find many a stout mate able to serve on your ship, don’t doubt it.” Bustletang shook their hands and then took his leave of them with a big smile.

Christina leaned closer, standing on her tiptoes to speaking soft into Benny’s ear. “Aye, and we’ll need a cradle on board as well soon enough.”

Benny stopped, and quickly looked down at her, “Cradle?! Did…. Did I hear you right Angel?!”

She just smiled and smiled, nodding as she pulled Benny up the gangway onto their new home, their flying ship.

“How is this possible? Angel… I’m a damn vampire and you’re half dragon and…” Benny’s eyes were growing wider, the blue of them sparking with hope.  
“Dearest love…” Christina looked at Benny, her own dark eyes overflowing with happiness, “Anything is possible here if you just believe…..”

 

 

**_~fin~_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To the small group of lovely and wonderful souls who have stuck with this humble fic (and me) through the long wait between updates, I thank you from the very bottom of my deep old heart. I hope I rewarded your heroic patience and that this fic leaves you with smiles on your faces, magic in your hearts, and I hope that all the pixies that come to your window sill bring you warmth, joy and happiness.
> 
> Pax,  
> -e


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